Echoesofthegreenlung

Sounds of the Floresta da Tijuca

The screeching of monkeys cuts through the afternoon. The flapping of wings, the rustling of leaves, the whistling of birds, the beat of fresh water against stone. The sounds of nature don't occupy only Rio's coastal strip -- they spread across the vast green areas that still cover part of the city.

Photo: Américo Vermelho - Quinta da Boa Vista

Image description: This is an aerial photograph of a golf course. On the left side, we see several palm trees arranged in a curve, with their shadows cast over the green lawn. Moving toward the right, the lawn becomes darker, forming a light strip that separates the golf course from the rest of the image. In the upper left corner, we see two people walking. The predominant color is green, ranging from light to dark as the palm trees' shadows extend across it.

Perhaps its most representative piece is the nearly 4,000 hectares of Tijuca National Park – a national symbol of Atlantic Forest preservation – which correspond to about 3.5% of the total area of the city of Rio. It is the largest urban forest in the world, made up of a rich set of ecosystems. The conservation unit is composed of the Floresta da Tijuca, Serra da Carioca, Pedra Bonita, and Pedra da Gávea. Just crossing the main entrance to the forest, in Alto da Boa Vista, is enough to plunge into the deep green, an environment altogether different from the bustle so common to urban complexes.

The backdrop of silence blends with the rustling of treetops and the songs of saíras, rendeiras and tangarás. The waterfalls of cascades and grottoes make the composition even more harmonious. From Mirante Dona Marta to Pedra da Gávea, there is a universe of sounds and sensations spanning Corcovado, Parque Lage, Cachoeira do Horto, Cascatinha Taunay, Pedra Bonita, Garganta do Céu, among so many other attractions that recall nature's imperial place in the middle of the city.

Image description: This is a panoramic photograph of a coastal city. On the left side, we see a mountain covered in dense vegetation. In the center, the city stretches out with colorful buildings and a river cutting through the landscape. On the right, the horizon is made up of more mountains and the blue sea. The sky is partly cloudy, with white and gray clouds scattered across the space.

Beneath the tapestry of exuberant flora and fauna pulse the echoes of a history of disputes and dedication, which could begin with the sound of tree trunks being felled. That's because, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tijuca massif was occupied and devastated by timber extraction and the use of the land for monocultures, especially coffee, which caused serious environmental problems for Rio. One of them was water scarcity. For this reason, starting in 1862, Dom Pedro II ordered the reforestation of the site, a mission entrusted to Major Manuel Gomes Archer, who began the work with six enslaved people, along with some overseers, foremen, and paid workers. In just 13 years, more than 100,000 trees were planted, mainly species from the Atlantic Forest. Later, the Baron d'Escragnolle drew up a landscaping plan, transforming the forest into a beautiful, enormous park, full of surprising nooks.

While it's true that the Floresta da Tijuca, with all its diversity of fauna and flora, can very well be considered the lung of Rio de Janeiro, smaller green areas, such as squares and gardens, are nonetheless fundamental to the sound arrangement of the Carioca natural landscape.