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Way to grow!
These astonishing pictures show the handiwork of retired Brazilian businessman Helio da Silva, who planted an astonishing 40,000 trees along a stretch of derelict land in Sao Paulo over a period of 20 years, transforming it into a verdant park.
The 3.2-kilometre-long, 100-metre-wide stretch of land is now a beautiful urban jungle known as Tiquatira Linear Park, with the Tiquatira river running between two bustling avenues.
The once-neglected riverbanks used to be a haunt for drug users, but now they run alongside thousands of flourishing trees made up of 160 species.
Ex-food industry executive Helio started to transform the land in 2003 after he walked through what he says was an ‘abandoned, degraded, dirty area’ with his wife, Leda, and decided a change was necessary.
This aerial image shows the handiwork of retired Brazilian businessman Helio da Silva, who planted an astonishing 40,000 trees along a stretch of derelict land in Sao Paulo over a period of 20 years, transforming it into a verdant park
The 3.2-kilometre-long, 100-metre-wide stretch of land is now a beautiful urban jungle known as Tiquatira Linear Park, with the Tiquatira river running between two bustling avenues. Helio is pictured above, tending to a tree
He began planting the trees without permission from the authorities and using his own money – spending cash on plant cuttings that he then nurtured into towering trees.
Helio, 73, estimates that he’s spent around $7,000 (£5,382) per year on the park.
Officials in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous city, eventually recognised Helio’s work and designated the land the first official linear park in the city in 2008.
Authorities have since installed a playground, football field, benches, an amphitheatre, bike lanes, toilets and gym equipment.
Around 45 species of birds have been documented fluttering through the tree canopy – in part thanks to Helio’s choice to make one in every 12 trees a fruit-bearing variety.
The park also helps to prevent the erosion of the riverbanks, lowers the temperature of Sao Paulo’s concrete urban centre and improves air quality.
The self-styled ‘tree planter’ – as Helio’s business cards say – moved to Sao Paulo from Promissao, a town 400km (248 miles) north of the city.
He claims he was called ‘crazy’ when he began planting the trees, reports AFP, but he continued with his project in order to leave a ‘legacy’ behind in his adoptive city, which he says ‘welcomed him’.
Retiree Helio now spends his days checking on the trees – pruning, composting and even speaking to them. It’s little surprise to discover that the keen naturalist’s surname – ‘da Silva’ – means ‘of the forest’ in Portuguese.
The unofficial parkkeeper intends to plant 50,000 trees by the time he is finished with his flourishing city-centre oasis.
Helio, seen here, claims he was called ‘crazy’ when he began planting the trees, but he continued with his plan in order to leave a ‘legacy’ in the city
The park helps to prevent the erosion of the riverbanks, lowers the temperature of Sao Paulo’s concrete urban centre and improves air quality
