Our Pilot Project in the Cerrado
These private reserves are located just outside the boundaries of the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (an UNESCO World Heritage Site) so they serve as a buffer for a park that lacks an official buffer zone.
The Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot with 12,000 plant species, a third of which are endemic to this biome and is the largest and most threatened tropical savannah in the world. It is getting converted much faster than any other biome in Brazil (50% of native vegetation loss to land conversion (mainly exported soy and pasture for cattle) since 2016)! The Cerrado is crucial for the country’s water resource dynamics, as it comprises 10 out of the 12 major Brazilian hydrographic regions. Some of the iconic mammal species of the Cerrado include the Maned-Wolf, the Giant Anteater, and the Puma. The Cerrado is also home to 860 bird species, 200 mammal species, 180 reptile species, 150 amphibian species, and 1,200 fish species, along with an estimated 90 million insect species, with many of them still undiscovered. Because of increasing threats and the alarming rate of destruction of this global biodiversity hotspot, conservation action is urgently needed! About 90% of the biome is privately owned, where a large part of its remaining vegetation is concentrated, making HotSpot Patrons'work all the more relevant.
Our Pilot Project in the Atlantic Forest biome of Brazil
The Atlantic Forest biome is regarded as among the world’s richest in biodiversity- and one of its most decimated and fragmented. It runs along the Brazilian coast from northern to southern Brazil and into the interior to northeast Argentina and eastern Paraguay. Nearly three-quarters of Brazil’s population is found in the Atlantic Forest biome, including the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
For our Atlantic Forest pilot project we are focusing on the State of Bahia, as this has some of the richest biodiversity and thus has many Conservation Imperative sites. This is the area where 443 different tree species were found on a single hectare! The Atlantic Forest is a very old biome, consisting of 15 ecoregions and a very high level of species endemism (species found nowhere else on Earth), including 286 of the 475 amphibian species, 80% of the 24 species of monkey, and 90% of the nearly 300 species of mammals found here. Setting the base for this incredible biodiversity are 20,000 plant species, or which 40% exist only in the Atlantic Forest.
HotSpot Patrons initiated collaboration with a group of local conservation experts and formed the Southeast Bahia Task Force. Relying on our colleagues’ extensive knowledge of this region we are currently identifying the reserves and components of our first Atlantic Forest project.
We will have four types of donation opportunities
Project funds
1
Expansion Funds
Funds to help proven conservationists expand their reserves with land purchases and maintenance funds.
3
Pooled funds
2
1
In-Kind
Sometimes technical knowledge or skills are all that is needed to increase conservation impact. These In-Kind donations might include marketing, website design, or trail mapping skills, for example.
4
By relying on our needs-assessment and personal verification visits HotSpot Patrons can customize these portfolios to meet needs that may vary from reserve to reserve and region to region
Portfolio of Biodiversity Projects
We will soon have our Portfolio of Biodiversity Projects available for you to support (see our Biodiversity Projects tab) and therefore become a “Patron”. We base all of our project donations upon our needs-assessment’s results and personal verification visits.
HotSpot Patrons is not a 501(c)3, however we envision working with non-profits on some projects. We will always let you know if your donation may qualify for a tax reduction in United States, and we will be forthright if the donation is not going through another 501(c)3 non-profit. We are not tax advisors and encourage you to consult with yours if you have questions.