he lands comprising the farm Cachoeira das Moitas, Municipal district of Ipameri-GO, are in the area known as Povoado da Vendinha, 31 km away from the city of Ipameri.
Fazenda Cachoeira das Moitas is patronesses of the Project for Preservation of the Canindé Macaw, also known as Yellow Macaw. The five land portions that comprise this area were bought little by little as from February 1997, totalizing (486) four hundred and eighty six hectares, and possessed in its largest portion according to the registration R2–3287, page 080 of the book 2-M, all of the General Registration of Properties of the City of Ipameri-GO.
86 hectares were destined to the legal reservation, which were composed of two native forests formed with species of the Cerrado (Bacuris, Palm trees, Aroeiras, Pequizeiros, Vinháticos, Jatobás, Sucupiras, Pau-oléo, Alligators, Bores and others), with two water streams and a brook “Cachoeira das Moitas being the principal and named after the Fazenda. The two forests are named “Capoeira Grande” and “Capão do Crioulo”. In addition to the forests, the farm has more than thirty brook-heads and a permanent area of preservation.
The objective is to combine the area of environmental preservation “APA” with the milk-cattle raising activities. Therefore, an area of 400 hectares will be reserved for the planting of native trees of the Cerrado, which will serve as a source of food and a habitat for the Canindé.

This project resulted from studies done on the daily itinerary of this species in search of food, flying in groups early in the morning along the “Ribeirão das Matas”.
During the day they are seen looking for food in their struggle to survive, flying for kilometers over the deforested areas, where once there existed the buritis, babaçuais, pequizeiros and guarirobas. The burns and deforestations have contributed to the shortage of their food.

At dusk the macaws, perhaps the only surviving species, come back in flights and, following the same ritual, they arrive to the dry vinhático for one more night in their buritizal. The following day, they restart their tireless search for food.

Along with the destruction of the environment, they are gradually becoming an endangered species.

These comings and goings of the Macaws in their struggle for survival have awaken our conscience that it is possible and feasible to develop a preservation project capable of returning the macaws, a species of such rare and symbol of
Brazil, their natural habitat; a species that with their simplicity and beauty is very representative of our fauna.

Márcio Estrela - Engineer and Rural Producerl
Graça Estrela - Plastic Artistic
Ipameri - Goiás - Brasil

LOCALIZATION OF THE PROJECT

The Project Canindé Arara is developed in the Midwest Region of Brazil, Km 18 of the GO 123, in the Municipal district of Ipameri– State of Goiás, on Fazenda Cachoeira das Moitas.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT PROPOSE?

The Project Canindé Macaw will be planting in an area of 400 hectares, in order to preserve the macaws in their habitat. Firstly, 3000 pequi trees seedlings, 2000 babaçu palm seedlings, and 5000 guariroba palm seedlings will be planted.

Secondly, an additional of 1500 seedlings of each species will be planted, together
with 1.500 seedlings of imperial palm trees.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

• How to contribute.
• Don’t buy wild animals.
• Report the illegal trade of animals.
• Acquire products of the project exclusively.
• Donate materials, equipments or
  Support the Project financially.

WHAT IS THE PROJECT CANINDÉ MACAW?

It is a project for planting trees such as the pequizeiro, the babaçu palm tree, and the guarirobas that are sources of food for the canindés macaws. The fruit of the pequi and the coconut of the babaçu palm tree are their favorite food.

This project aims to preserve and to maintain the canindé macaws in their habitat – the Cerrado – in combination with the milk-cattle raising activities.

The Canindé Project was developed by the artist Graça Estrela, who is known in Goiás as Graça of the Macaws, and who for more than 20 years has had the macaws as the main theme for her paintings. After traveling several parks of Brazil, watching macaws and photographing them, Grace started to study them, becoming also a defender of them. Graça Estrela has already exhibited her macaws in several European countries, as well as in Canada, and in Japan. She was awarded a gold medal in Paris in 2004 for the painting “Nest of Macaws”, and in April she will be paid homage by the French Academy of Arts, Science and
Culture, for her work on behalf of the Macaws.

This project has Engineer Márcio Estrela as a partner, who is also owner of Fazenda Cachoeira das Moitas.

THE CANINDÉ MACAW

The Canindé macaw, whose scientific name is ARARAUNA, has blue feathers, golden feathers in the chest, and face with an array of black feathers.

They reach nearly a meter in length, weigh approximately 1.3 kg, and are considered the largest psitacídeo of the world. They live in flocks or groups.

They are faithful, monogamist and supportive. When Brazil was discovered, they were an abundant species. Now the species is reduced. The illegal trade, the deforestation, and the hunt for feeding are the main factors leading the species to endangerment threat.