Spix Ara Caatinga Carbon Project

The Caatinga biome in Brazil is the natural habitat of the endemic Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii). These birds have been extinct in the wild since 2000 due to illegal hunting and habitat degradation. To support a current breeding and rewilding program and ensure a viable population, Blue Sky, a private organization, aims to protect and restore degraded Caatinga creek forests to provide sufficient natural habitat for a rewilded population. To finance this restoration, the project seeks to access carbon finance via a voluntary carbon project. Unique was contracted to assess the feasibility of the project, especially with regards to the challenges of reforesting dry forest, and to offer advice on the project plan according to Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standards.