PLANTING HOPE

"Sebastiäao adored exploring the paradise of his parents' farm in the Mata Atlãantica forest of Brazil. From atop a hill, he would look at the world from a new perspective and dream of what might lie beyond his view. Then, when he went away to school, Sebastiäao met Lâelia, who showed him how to use a camera for the very first time. When Sebastiäao looked through the camera, he realized he could use photography to organize how the world fit together. Because of his talent for seeing what others could not, Sebastiäao traveled the world and took pictures for all kinds of news stories. But after witnessing too many painful images of environmental destruction and violence, he put away his camera and returned with Lâelia to his childhood home. But, when they arrived at the farm, the land was in ruins. So Lâelia suggested they rebuild the rain forest and make their efforts an example to others. Through art and activism, Sebastiäao and Lâelia would show that everyone was connected to a large ecosystem and responsible for its care, and that all may not be lost if we take action"