Process¶

All the process of the project can be found in details here:

The dream is a living thing

You can also download the PDF if you want to.

Other projects¶

Videos¶

Books and Journals¶

Anna Tsing - On Antrthopogenic Landscapes

Research and important data¶

Juçara (Euterpe edulis)¶

Family: Arecaceae Brazilian Palm tree, native from Mata Atlântica forest.

Juçara or Içara (Euterpe edulis) is a palm tree native from the Atlantic forest in Brazil. Can be found mostly in the coast regions, in the dense ombrophiles forest vegetation.

It is very well known by its hearts of palm, and because of the exploitation of this edible part of the plant, it is now in danger of extinction. To extract the heart of palm, you have to cut off the hole tree, and differently from other palm tree species, the Juçara doesn’t grows back. Now, the palm hearts from the Juçara are not harvested for commercialization anymore and the projects to protect them are growing. Some agroforest systems are using the Juçara as the main tree. It have a great importance in the ecological sense once its flowering and fruiting occurs in the fall/winter, where there is lack of flowers and fruits.

Vegetal fibers¶

Vegetable fibers are a plentiful resource, they constitute often leftovers from the food industry or other industries.

These fibers can be used for making fabrics, ropes, and other materials instead of wood or synthetic materials. In addition to well-known fibers like Sisal, Jute, Banana, and Coconut, there are many other types of plant fibers in Brazil that are not well-known or understood. (GONÇALMES, AMARAL, 2018)

One great thing about these fibers is that they absorb as much carbon dioxide as they produce, which helps reduce carbon emissions. They come from renewable sources and can naturally break down over time, are biodegradable. (BRITO; ARAÚJO, 2011)

Vegetable fibers also known as lignocellulosic fibers, are made up of two main components: lignin and cellulose. Cellulose forms a strong, compact and insoluble structure in the fibers. They are the main component of the plant cell walls, and around 33% of the hole plant. It is the most abundant organic compound on the planet, with over 50% of the carbon in the biosphere estimated to be present in cellulose molecules. (GONÇALMES, AMARAL, 2018)

On the other hand, lignin is composed of an aromatic system, consisting of phenylpropane units, and it is an amorphous substance. Lignin is incorporated as the final component of the plant cell wall, providing stability (rigidity) to its structure. (KLOCK; ANDRADE, 2013)

In simpler terms, vegetable fibers are a sustainable and versatile resource that can be used in various applications, and they play a role in reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmental sustainability.

Bioluminescent fungi¶

Possible species found in the Juçara leafs:

Mycena Marasmiellos

Understanding and using fungal bioluminescence – Recent progress and future perspectives

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that belong to their own kingdom. They are heterotrophic and obtain nutrients by absorbing them from their environment. Fungi play crucial roles in various ecosystems as decomposers of organic matter, recycling nutrients and other components, especially in the soil.

Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms, it’s often a result of a chemical reaction involving specific enzymes. Bioluminescent mushrooms are mushrooms that emit green light (with a wavelength of 520-530 nm), origi-nated from a chemical process that occurs within their cells. Regarding fungal bioluminescence, there are numerous historical records of light emission from decaying wood and other types of cellulosic material. (ipbio)

There are approximately 105 species of bioluminescent mushrooms in the world, although this number is gradually increasing as new species are discovered. They are particularly common in tropical rainforests, where their glowing creates a mesmerizing, ethereal, dreamy atmosphere during the night. Brazil has a total of approximately 29 species (some awaiting confirmation of identification), and 27 of these species occur in our region in the Atlantic Forest. This makes our region the area with the highest concentration of bioluminescent mushrooms in the world. (ipbio)

The importance of bioluminescent mushrooms goes beyond their aesthetic ap-peal. These organisms are believed to have evolved their light-producing capabil-ity as a way of attracting spore-dispersing insects and/or attract predators of po-tential fungal pathogens, thus assisting in the fungi’s reproductive or defensive strategies (OLIVEIRA, CARVALHO, et al, 2013). On the other side, not much is known about the bioluminescent mycelium that some fungi has, maybe it’s just aesthetical, it is just because it is.

Experimentations and studies¶

Palm tree Fibers¶

Palm tree parts that I can use to extract fibers without killing the tree:

leafs stem sheath fruit bunch leftovers from the production of the fruit pulp

The search, experimentation, extraction and process of making fibers from local vegetation is an ancient technology and art. We can find thousands of references from all over the world. During the whole project, as said before, I was very much interested and inspired in indigenous cosmologies, which also include the relation with the environment, the materials for making things and the handicrafts. Some ethnicities like the Krahô, Suruí, Mehinako, Baniwa, Ticuna, Mayoruna, Kanamari, Baré, Yanomami and Parakanã people have amazing works with fibers, just to cite some.

Another important inspiration and guide was Suzie Grieve, she have an Instagram and a website called foraged fibers project where she uploads videos and tutorials on natural and foraged fibres processes. Also [Palmfil], that works with leftovers from the date palm trees industry. And the help and tips from my advisor Ângela Babour in this part of the process was essential for the project, since she have great experience with fibres and papers in general.

The first step to work with vegetal fibers were collecting them. For that, I contacted Jorge Ferreira, a self-taught ecologist and biologist that works with the Juçara in agroforest systems, and he introduced me to Evaldo and we went to Fazenda Cordeiros, located in a rural community in Silva Jardim, Rio de Janeiro. In this moment of the project I was studying the parts of the palm trees and interested in understanding the ones I could use, so I collected some leafs and sheaths, fresh and dried ones. I wanted also to try some seeds (leftovers from the Juçara pulp making) but it was not the fruiting season.

Steps of transforming plant part into fiber:¶

1: Remove the lignin

An important step on working with fibers is to remove the lignin from the plant. To do that we have to smash it or use an alkaline solution. There are some ways of doing that and my target was to use one that was as harmless as possible both for the environment and for who is handling the solution and fibers.

The most common and (by now) efficient method is with Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) - caustic soda - but it’s a dangerous substance, very corrosive and reacts with some materials such as aluminum (never use aluminum pan for this process!!).

a. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) the most comum way to isolate the cellulose of the plants problems:temperature and corrosion

b. Sodium bicarbonate - Baking soda (NaHCO₃) 2 or 3 days soaking in 20% baking soda and water solution

c. Ashes and water

d. Smashing, hurting and unravel

e. Lye water - potassium carbonate (K2CO₃)

Last update: 2023-06-29