Protecting biodiversity for future generations with the OCanto Group, Brazil
Written by Rebecca Woolford, Senderos
If you caught a glimpse of the Maned Wolf pups in Brazil’s Cerrado, in Planet Earth 3, you’ll know the footage was a world first. Read on to find out all about this special project.
A host for the film crew for over 3 years, the OCanto group caught the attention of the BBC team through their unwavering commitment to preserve and safeguard Brazil’s natural, historical and cultural heritage.
Pedro Treacher (see below) has been working within the tourism industry for over 20 years, and as the director of the OCanto Group, a collection of conservation focused hotels in Brazil; he knows better than most how travel and tourism sparks conversations and generates solutions.
Senderos’ stories celebrate the positive impacts that sustainable, purpose-led tourism can bring to destinations, and the OCanto group does just that.
Pedro Treacher, Director of Ocanto Group and the elusive Maned wolf. Endangered due to habitat loss.
Welcome Pedro, it’s great to have you here today. Let’s start at the very beginning. What was the path that led you to become the director of OCanto, a collection of conservation-focused hotels in Brazil?
“I’ve always had this inner calling to work in travel and tourism, I knew from a young age.
I’m passionate about my home country. It is after all the most biodiverse country in the world. With some ‘off the radar’ places like the Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse savannah, most people have never heard of it.
I was born in Sao Paulo, one of the biggest cities in the world, a crazy metropolis, where I live today. But my roots and childhood memories are on an island, three and a half hours from Sao Paulo. The Atlantic forest was where I spent most of my free time and vacations. As a child, going from a noisy, crowded city to inside the Atlantic forest changes you. My passion for travelling to different places and connecting with nature stems from that place.
I also went backpacking through Brazil during University, and at that time we didn’t have any kind of a government policy that was serious about Brazil’s potential as a high-end, sustainable destination. I recall thinking that the best route to make this a reality and make an impact was through the private sector. And that was the spark.
For about 10 years I worked at a DMC in Brazil, responsible for destination management. It was during that period that I had the ability and opportunity to travel extensively around Brazil. I learnt things about my home country I didn’t know. I discovered hidden gems as well as special places and people. I love developing connections and relationships with communities, with all stakeholders in each territory.
Today my mission is to safeguard biomes in Brazil through our properties. Raising awareness about these regions in the face of climate change and the rapidly expanding monoculture and industrial agriculture bringing deforestation.
The OCanto group protects and preserves nature and thinks of the future generations, so they too can experience the wonders of nature. Just as I did as a child.”
Images of Pousada Trijunção, in Brazil. Part of the Ocanto Collection.
Can you tell us about Pousada Trijunção, one of the OCanto properties. With a strong connection to the UK TV show Planet Earth 3 with Sir David Attenborough, how did it come about?
“Pousada Trijunção is located in the heart of the Cerrado, the most biodiverse savannah in the world, home to many endemic and endangered species.
If you mention ‘The Amazon’ everybody knows what you’re talking about and why it’s important to protect, do the same with ‘The Cerrado’ and few people know what it is or why it needs protection.
We decided to set up a conservation-focused lodge in one of the most pristine areas of the Cerrado which borders the National Park. We did this to raise awareness and showcase this precious biome, connecting not only international travellers; but Brazilian people.
During that journey we had a lot of interest from different media groups, especially by the BBC Planet Earth 3, who are always on the lookout for untold stories to tell. Their film crew and team visited us across a period of about three years.
They captured lots of footage, but the star of the show was the Maned Wolf, an endemic species of the Cerrado savanna.”
The Maned Wolf, one of the largest members of the canine family in South America. Cerrado Brazil.
“We work with Oncafari, an NGO who have been monitoring the Maned Wolf since 2018, but they also work with jaguars in the Pantanal. The BBC crew were filming the Jaguars and that’s how I believe they heard about the Cerrado conservation project.
During those three years you really got to know the crew and we shared in their excitement about what they’d achieved. The BBC film crew left the project content and happy because they captured footage of the Maned wolf puppies inside their den – something never seen before! It reveals new data and science.
The show was a great opportunity to showcase the Cerrado to a wider audience.The BBC project is now over but the 35 camera traps across the grid remain. They are recording right now, at this moment. We continue to learn about the behaviour of the animals here. Including the pampas deer, Jaguars and giant anteaters.
Something worth mentioning is the fascinating work that Oncafari does. They go out with Safari jeeps for an ‘habituation process’ to help get the wildlife familiar with the presence and sounds of the jeeps.
This is so the next generations of animals will understand that there is no threat. This increases the sighting rates for people who travel here to experience the wildlife.
During 2023, 75% of the visitors who stayed with us managed to capture a sighting of the majestic Maned Wolf in their natural habitats. A remarkable achievement because in the beginning it was such a rare sighting.”
Camera trap footage from Pousada Trijunção, Ocanto Group, Cerrado.
It’s incredible to think that the Cerrado is South America’s 2nd largest biome after the Amazon. However, less than 10% of this tropical savannah is protected. Compare that to the Amazon which is closer to 50% protected. What can you share about the cultural perceptions of people towards this region?
“When people think of travelling to Brazil they often think of the Amazon rainforest or maybe the Pantanal wetlands, but huge parts are covered in grasslands.
Brazilian people think of the Cerrado Savanna as a bushy area that’s not as important. So, the association is that it does not hurt anyone to lose it, it’s not like losing the green Amazon.
Most Brazilian people are not aware of its importance, or biodiversity. Yet the Cerando is facing a dramatic, rapidly expanding soybean monoculture happening right across Brazil.
This is because it’s a region where it’s easy and cheap to grow soybean. Last year the deforestation rate of the Amazon was reduced, in contrast the deforestation of the Cerrando increased by 43%.
Pousada Trijunção is, above all, a conservation project. Our mission number one is to raise awareness about the Cerrado.”
Images of the Cerrado landscape by Luciano and Fazenda.
“We’re the only Brazilian hospitality group waving our hands, seeking attention for these biomes, and saying, ‘Hey, look world, the Cerrado is here and it matters. You should get to know this place and we must protect it.’
Travel and tourism have enormous power and strength to create change. When people come here, even for the BBC film crew, they create deep connections with the place and then take action.
I’m going to share a story that helps answer your question. It was when the pandemic hit…
Pousada Trijunção had only been open for about a year. We had to change all operations to focus our trips solely on people that live in Brasília, Brazil’s capital, our closest metropole.
That’s when we began to realise that these people who were raised here had never experienced this incredible biome. After four or five days our guests, people born and raised here in Brazil, were filled with wonder and astonishment at the Cerrado and its natural beauty. They felt ashamed because it had taken a pandemic to make them realise what a special place they live in.
It was a journey that was so inspiring for our team. We could never have imagined a pandemic hitting like it did, but we adapted to it and learnt something new along the way.
It reminded me that we are doing something special here and that we are on the right path.”
You mentioned there that local people living close to the Cerrado Savanna, and for Brazilians in general, the awareness of this biome and its importance is largely missing. Why?
“Well, that’s a complicated thing to answer because it is due to a lot of different elements. I’d say there are two main ones to touch upon.
Firstly, children and adults are not educated about the Cerrado as being one of our richest and most biodiverse biomes in the country. It’s not something as a kid that you’re taught about not just at school but in your family conversations. You don’t grow up with a connection to it despite its magnificence.
The second one is that the beauty of the Cerrado is subtle. It’s less obvious. When you think of the Amazon you think about huge trees and rivers, exotic birds and endemic wildlife. The Cerrado’s magic is more subtle. When both Brazilians and foreign travellers visit the Trijunção it is more than a trip, it’s a unique experience that leaves a lasting impression.”
World Animal Protection recently reported that the world’s biggest meat producer has been land grabbing, grain laundering, and growing soy illegally in the Cerrado, and then those products feed through to UK supermarkets and well-known fast food chains. How is such large-scale deforestation possible in such a biodiverse and unique place?
“There are small, local communities growing crops in a low-impact way in this region of the Cerrado. But most of the large-scale deforestation is being carried out by huge multinational companies.
These companies are really big and they’re doing it in a professional way with huge, high-tech machinery. Their size doesn’t make it an easy fight.
A characteristic of this region is that you can’t grow soybeans naturally, it’s too dry for it. So, what these companies do is they drill a hole and install an irrigation pump so that the water goes directly from the aquifer and pumps thousands and thousands of litres of water per hour to the plantations . Cultivating soy here requires a type of intervention in the ecosystem that is counter-intuitive and, in many cases, without common sense.
The multinational companies selling soybeans for domestic livestock (meat) are not in balance with the seasons of nature, consider the rain periods, or care about doing it in a natural way. They are pumping water out of the aquifer to make this counter-intuitive farming possible.
Here we present the Cerrado preserved in all its potential and this brings people from all around the world interested in nature and wildlife, who often have the means to help us with our fight to save this biome; both in terms of regulations and in terms of public opinion.’
Destroying precious water reserves and tearing down forests for profit is very sad, but I know your conservation work is making a difference. From conservation, to community, culture and commerce; the 4C’s is a framework you work within, is that right?
“Yes, we are members of The Long Run at the Pousada Trijonção property. We focus most of our efforts and resources in the first C, conservation. Beyond the 4C’s we are also in the final phases of the GSTC certification, which is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
As a hospitality group passionate about Brazil, you’ll find retreats in different hidden places of our country where we operate based on a regenerative approach.
In Paraty, a small charming town with cobblestone streets located in the south of Rio, you’ll find Pousada Literária. Paraty was awarded the UNESCO’s Humanity Natural and Cultural Heritage title a few years ago.
We’ve been developing close relationships with the House of Culture of Paraty and also with the municipality too, creating new ‘community-based’ initiatives.”
Images of Pousada LiteraÌria, Ocanto Group. Photos by Fazenda.
“Each week we bring kids from local public schools to visit our projects and provide immersions in the Atlantic rainforest. These trips are crafted to help local children better understand their culture and heritage of the city. 3,000 kids each year engage in this impactful initiative, which will influence the next generation.
There’s another ‘community’ program dedicated to family farming in which we’re proactively going out to teach local members what to grow and how to grow it . The Cacao tree is a great example.
Once the local person has received the training we provide a promise, a guarantee that we, the hotel, will buy it from them for a fair price. And by fair price I mean that we’re not paying the least amount that we can.
That promise is made over a number of years so local people can begin growing in a sustainable, organic way and they are generating an income for themselves.
We had 50 or so producers from Paraty in the first phase. We started this initiative in 2023 and we are already seeing the first results. It has the potential to change families, to change the way these small farmers see nature.
You will never achieve perfection in sustainability, but you’ve got to keep trying. And rather than do nothing, we can do what we can.
I believe that ‘sustainability’ in any business should be closer to the operations than the marketing department.”
Indeed, sustainability is an ever-evolving journey. With no end goal or destination. I’m interested to hear where you see the biggest areas for improvement in your impact journey so far?
“Because we’re in three very different regions of Brazil, each operation has a different challenge.
For Pousada Literária in Paraty, the biggest challenge for our operation and the surrounding city is the capacity for solid waste management, considering the expanding number of people and properties, generating more trash and organic waste.
For Pousada Tutabel in Trancoso, a beachside property we haven’t yet talked about, we have a focus on better preserving the culture of the community that lives there. An artisan village, it traditionally created woodwork and unique handcrafts. The passing on of this knowledge from the older generations to the younger generations probably wasn’t happening because they were not interested in it.
So, we ourselves, how can the travel and hospitality sector create ways of valuing traditional knowledge and developing more interest in the younger generations? How can we influence travellers to connect with these cultural aspects?
And at Pousada Trijunção, the fight continues to prevent the rapidly expanding soybean monoculture from devastating everything in its path. Each territory, biome, retreat has a different focus and need.”
Images of Pousada Tutabel in Trancoso, a beachside retreat. Ocanto Group.
What’s next for the OCanto Group, Pedro?
“We want to continue to safeguard Brazilian biomes and showcase these incredible places to travellers from Brazil and from around the world.
As the most biodiverse country in the world, there’s space for a Brazilian hospitality group with ‘big picture’ thinking. A globally recognised brand that showcases Brazil’s biomes.
More than simply promoting each destination, OCanto works to positively impact and improve the land where we operate, in its social and environmental spheres with landscape and biodiversity restoration initiatives. Through partnership projects with local communities; and with immersive experiences that value traditional cultures and knowledge.
Experiences that continue to make difference for our guests and visitors, as well as for the communities in which we operate.”
To learn more about OCanto Collection please click below.
Pousada Literária
Pousada Trijunção
Pousada Tutabel
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