SINAL A living laboratory for the transition to sustainability A global learning community for change-makers A retreat space for reconnection and revitalization in nature
SINAL: A global community
Our mission To prototype practical solutions to complex social and environmental problems through multi-perspective experimentation in our living laboratory To be a catalyst for resilience and regeneration in our local and global communities To be a reference locally and globally in the transition towards a more sustainable future
SINAL PRINCIPLES Sychronicity Innovation Joy (Alegria) SINAL VALUES Cooperation Communication Responsibility Respect Appreciation
The Property 200 hectares of land in the Atlantic Rainforest, located 50 km Northwest of Rio de Janeiro SINAL is made up of... An agro-ecological farm Forested land and areas in the process of regeneration Event and retreat center with 8 independent houses and 2 meeting facilities
Our Valley
Our location: APA of Petropolis
Valley of Santo Antonio Low income, peri-urban town of 10,000 residents Inside the municipality of Duque de Caxias, the third most populous city in the RJ metropolitan area Faces the common challenges that come with uncontrolled urban sprawl from major metropolitan cities Poor infrastructure for clean water, trash/recycling Lack of local employment opportunities
Our location is critical as we are located in the buffer zone between the urban encroachment of Rio and the remaining protected Atlantic Rainforest
SINAL s Diverse Team Local workers from Santo Antonio International Resident Coordinators Short-term volunteers and students
Over 300 Young people from around the world have passed through SINAL since 2012 History of the Volunteer Program
One out in the gardens working
Structure of SINAL SINAL School Retreat Initiatives Gap year/ internship Sinal das Crianças Conferences Vivencias Leaders Rio Green Belt Agroecology Learning Journeys Resilient Community
SINAL Streams of Action in the Living Laboratory Agro-ecology and Bio-construction Nature-based Education for School Children Santo Antonio: Resilient Community Assisted Natural Regeneration (Green Belt)
Initiative #1: Agro-ecology Organic gardens & agroforestry Local Food & Medicinal plants Bio-construction
Organic gardens and sustainable food production
Agroforestry Cultivating farm crops and trees together Restoring soil with organic material Food production with restoration
Local Food Using creative recipes to promote local, sustainable, and healthy food
Medicinal Plants
Bio-construction
Tenda da Vitalidade
Projects #2: SINAL das Criancas itiative #2: Nature based education or school children
2013 - Criança Esperança
2014 - Mais Cultura nas Escolas
2015 - Revitalization of local school with Mata Atlantica mural
2015 Aventura dos Sabores
2016: Horta in the School
Initiative #3: Santo Antonio Resilient Community
History of Community Work 2002 Program de poluição da Baia de Guanabara 2008 Projeto Aguas de Santo Antonio (partnership with Fundação Oswaldo Cruz and local school) 2011-2014 Community clean-ups, partnership with Homeowners Assocation 2015 Impact sessions with local leaders and government of Duque de Caxias
ning up in the community
SINAL prototyping community solutions for recycling
Centro Cultural: Lixo Zero Using art as a medium for community engagement with recycling culture
Initiative #4: Forest Landscape Restoratio SINAL is part of the Rio Green Belt (Cinturão Verde) initiative, which is an association of several NGOs that seek to preserve and restore the watersheds and biodiversity of the Atlantic Rainforest through diverse methods of landscape restoration and regeneration
We are pilot testing the new restoration method of Assisted Natural Regeneration in collaboration with INEA (RJ state environmental institute) Our method: Assisted Natural Regeneration This method is innovative given its low-cost, far simpler methodology than traditional reforestation, making it feasible for the large scale and multiproperty restoration needed in the degraded lands surrounding Rio de Janeiro Map of ANR experiment
As part of the Rio Green Belt initiative, we plan to mobilize land-owners in the critical buffer area surrounding Rio in order to implement integrated landscape restoration methods such as ANR; SINAL will help articulate the implementation of the Pacto Mata Atlantica (a national program to restore 1 million hectares of land by 2020 as part of the international Bonn Challenge)
Tourism and Educational Services -SINAL Retreat -SINAL School
SINAL Retreat: Revitalization and Reconnection in the Mata Atlatnica Conferences & Meetings Learning Journeys Vivencias
Conferences and Meetings SINAL provides the spaces, accomodations, catering, logistics, and revitalizing atmosphere of the Atlantic Rainforest for groups & companies to host their events
2014 - Street Football World
2015 - BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders
2015 - Fetzer Institute
Learning Journeys: Immersion into Beauty and Challenges of the Atlantic Rainforest (A)Study Tour on Sustainability and Resilience Client: universities, corporations, institutions, policymakers Academic; includes speakers, meetings, workshops; deeper immersion into challenges of Atlantic Rainforest (B) Rio Green Belt Tour: Sights, Sounds and Tastes of the Atlantic Rainforest Client: Small group eco-tourist Sight-seeing, relaxation, light learning of sustainability, visits to other Green Belt projects In development
Canisius College Learning Journey
Disaster Risk Reduction Study Tour: Policymakers Learning of AsiaJourneys and Africa
Vivencias: One Day at SINAL
SINAL School for Agents of Transformation: Empowering Young Leaders to Create More Resilient Communities
Two programs Gap year and internship program for undergrad, gap year students Intensive leadership program for training young leaders to be agents of transformation for creating more resilient communities 3-6 month modules on landscape restoration
The four knowledge streams In SINAL School s hands-on learning by doing program, students engage in the SINAL philosophy of experimenting then prototyping a small-scale solution for a specific problem Natural restoration and reforestation Regenerative agriculture The four streams Ecological infrastructure systems Nature-based education
We teach: Practical Skills For working with ecosystems and communities to heal, restore and build resilience. For working with oneself and others to develop social/emotional intelligence and grow our capacity to love. Inner Skills Integral Development working within, working with others, working for collective change, and working to build resilience in local communities this is what agents of transformation are equipped to do!
Our Partners The Long Run Initiative BMW Foundation TRANS4M Canisius College Fetzer Institute Global Leadership Network
Sinal do Vale A path to a more resilient future
There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. -Victor Hugo