The drawing tools manufactured by Faber-Castell are primarily sourced from the company’s own sustainable forests in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Forest manager Pedroso trudges through the dry undergrowth, wearing knee-high gear to protect her from rattlesnakes. She stops in front of a young tree nursery and points to a low-hanging branch. “We cut the branches regularly, because our trees must grow as straight and clean as possible. Every knot in the wood would result in less than perfect quality for pencil production.” Plantations of all different ages are spread throughout the forest areas of Faber Castell. “We hereby ensure to never clear entire forest tracts, but only limited areas”. Even in these harvested stretches, individual trees remain standing. Pedroso explains: “Some birds need a rest stop while covering longer distances and these trees offer refuge.” More than 260 bird species are found in the Faber-Castell forests and as scientific studies show, their numbers are actually increasing every year. This holds true for all native fauna living here, as the deserted forest areas provide habitat for more than 660 species: This is where the endangered pampas deer raise their young, the shy maned wolf roams the woods, the puma is caught via the camera traps set up to monitor the mammal populations. Nearly 30 percent of the total area is left in its natural state, featuring rushing rivers and palm groves, small lakes and man-sized ferns.
"Brazil is a perfect place to grow the pine because it is a tropical country where this species can grow really fast."
Kelen Pedros, forest engineer