The photographer and his wife for 20 years has planted 2 million trees and regenerated the destroyed forest

According to the Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations since 1990 from the Earth forever disappeared 129 million hectares of forest. This area is almost equivalent to the size of the territory of South Africa. And the annual loss of forest the size of Panama.

Approximately 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions occur as a result of forest loss. Disappears many species of plants and animals lose their habitat. All this negatively affects the health of the planet, and simply can not be allowed to continue.

What to do in the face of such large-scale environmental disasters, which can make a person feel small and helpless? Do you have to do something?

Brazilian photographer sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia Delays Vanik Salgado decided to show the abilities of a small group of people, which turned everything on its head and began to revive the forest.

Mother nature is a hardy soul who will always find a way to bounce back, if the conditions are right. Sebastião Salgado is a famous person: he won almost all major awards in photojournalism and has published over a dozen books.

In the 1990-ies, exhausted physically and emotionally after documented the horrific barbarity of the genocide in Rwanda, he returned to his native Brazil in the area that was once covered by lush tropical forests. The photographer was shocked to find that now there's no wildlife. But his wife Lelia believed that the area can return to its former glory.

Sebastian and Lelia founded a small organization with staff that has planted 4 million trees and returned to the forest to life.

Due to the fact that all plants was a natural for this earth in the next 20 years, everything changed. Returned to the wild. Where not so long ago was deathly silent now the birds are singing and buzzing insects.

In total, the familiar surroundings came back around 172 species of birds, 33 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles and 15 species of amphibians. Thanks to the efforts of caring people here was revived 293 species of plants. Literally nothing has been restored a whole ecosystem!

The project has inspired millions of people showing a specific example of positive environmental action and demonstrating how it is possible to restore the environment.