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Hundred Million Native Plant Seeds Released In The Brazilian Amazon
HUNDRED MILLION NATIVE PLANT SEEDS RELEASED IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
Luigi Cani, a Brazilian stunt performer, is well known for his talent as an athlete in this sport. The skydiving legend has completed nearly 14,000 jumps and set 11 world records in his 20-year career. That alone is great, but Cani's credit for using his talents to make the world a better place goes on and on. In 2022, he performed one of the most nerve-wracking stunts to date. It involved parachuting into a deforested region of the Amazon with boxes containing 100 million seeds from 27 native plants. The goal was for Cani to open the box in the air and release the seed while he planted 100 million plants. However, realising this vision required five years of intensive planning. From getting the proper permits from the Brazilian government to building biodegradable seed boxes to properly distribute the seeds, nothing was easy.
It took two months to grow seeds from the nearby rainforest, but the conditions leading up to the big leap seemed precarious. Just days before the January 2022 jump, he failed three tests on his box, leaving the team desperate to find a solution. “We stayed up all night trying to figure out how to seal the leak in the box,” Cani recalls.
Even after the crates were secured, Cani still had to hold onto them to make sure he could release all the seeds at the right time. It wasn't easy. She said, "I struggled to keep the box. I nearly broke her wrist and fingers. At about 6,000 feet it managed to stabilise and release the seeds where I wanted them." It was sheer ecstasy. Still, Cani describes the jump as "the only jump I've held my breath for all my life."
Fortunately, all the hard work seems to have paid off. Boasting a 95% germination rate, the crab's breakthrough means that much of the deforested Amazon has a chance to thrive. When fully grown, the trees can reach heights of up to 50 meters, and Cani's team constantly monitors the situation through satellites. By early 2024, there will be enough time to fully assess the mission's success.
Crab, meanwhile, continues to use its daring personality for greater ends. In fact, further conservation efforts are on the horizon, and the future is expected to make a leap forward in addressing the marine plastic problem. "I've been jumping for his 25 years, and I've always pushed myself to the limit with dangerous jumps," he says. “Now that I am 51, I no longer have the urge to take risks."