There is a history of activism amongst the women of Prainha do Canto Verde. It was women who first raised their voices against the developer who was illegally trying to take over Prainha do Canto Verde. Theirs were the first steps in the long fight that culminated in the creation of the Extractive Reserve (also… Read more: More adventures of the Women’s group.

When I first came to Prainha over twenty years ago, it was still relatively common to see women working on pieces of labirinto embroidery — a form of drawn thread work with a strong presence in North East Brazil, particularly in Ceará. The income the women gained from this work helped sustain families who otherwise… Read more: Labirinto — Threads of a Living Tradition

For several years, we’ve been planting trees on a small plot, which is split between flat ground and a steep, challenging slope. At the top, the wind is often fierce and the sand is very dry, so most things struggle to grow, and while a couple of trees have survived, they remain stunted and wind… Read more: Planting trees.

Welcome to the new site, I hope you like it and will stick around for a look at what I’ve created.It’s been a busy year, I became a

Originally written in April 2010. Papangus exist in other places in Brazil, but the date at which they make their appearance varies, as may their significance. In Canto Verde the Papangus come at Easter, rejoicing in their role of making Judas suffer for his betrayal of Jesus. The origin of the Papangus is fairly obscure,… Read more: The Easter Papangus