Hélio da Silva Planted 40,000 Trees Along São Paulo Creek

Why this is here: The Tiquatira creek’s source remains hidden amidst the concrete and problems of the São Paulo metropolis, despite restoration efforts along its banks.

Hélio da Silva planted over 40,000 trees along the banks of the Tiquatira creek in São Paulo, Brazil. This effort created the largest linear park in the city.

A new podcast episode follows the creek from its source to its mouth. Journalist Ramón Raquelly discusses the complicated steps needed to restore urban waterways with experts.

The podcast reveals the challenges facing São Paulo’s rivers, many of which are channeled and obscured. Recovering a river requires attention to the entire watershed, a task complicated by the Tiquatira’s eventual flow into the heavily polluted Tietê River.

The podcast is part of a series produced with support from several foundations and the Spotify platform. It acknowledges that planting trees is just one part of a larger effort to restore waterways in a major city. Work to fully recover the Tiquatira and similar waterways continues.