Congratulations to Paracatu’s Environment and Sustainability team for winning an award for its innovative approach to restoring vegetation in mine impacted areas.
Alexandre Matos, Sustainability Manager, Osmar Alves Ferreira, Biologist and Gabriel Vargas Mendonça, Environmental Engineer, adapted ecological conservation techniques to reclamation areas.
The technique involves planting local species of seedlings and placing branches and cut wood over top. The branches help to protect the seedlings and create a ‘green contour’ to help the plants grow (as shown in the photos below). Tested for over a year at Paracatu, there are now seedlings growing on 30-acres of Kinross land.
Green contours’ at work: seedlings growing through the timber in Paracatu
Seedlings eventually grow and vegetation completely covers the branches and wood
In recognition, the team was awarded the “Sustentabildade Stamp” (Sustainability Stamp) by the Brazil Sustainability Benchmarking program, an organization that promotes corporate environmental stewardship.
Alexandre Siqueira and Gabriel Vargas accepted the trophy on behalf of the team at the 13th annual awards night.
“We feel that it’s important to develop solutions to leave a small environmental foot print,” said Alexandre Matos.
Some of the seedlings planted a year ago
All smiles: Gabriel Vargas Mendonça and Alexandre Siqueira, Environmental Engineers, Paracatu, accept their award
