One of the many great treasures in Brazil is its natural environment.  In Brazil grows the Araucaria also named “Pinheiro do Parana”.
For thousands of years these large trees, towered up to 52 meters with a circumference of up to 8.5 meters growing along the Atlantic Forest line of the Southern States.

For too long the lumber industry exploited these Araucaria forests to the brink of extinction with little attention to what their unprotected future would reap.  The temporary lumber ”boom” generated thousands of jobs until the middle of the 20th Century. 

Like all great nations struggling to regulate their natural resources for optimum benefit, Brazilian authorities now protect and regulate the in the past harvested Araucaria forests.  In fact, the extraction of any Araucaria or any other native tree requires a special permit from local environment departments. 

Over the centuries these great trees gave birth to the “Nó de Pinho” -  “Araucaria-Pinetree-Knots”.  This natural product of fallen and aging trees is used exclusively in Brazil as the best natural firewood available.  These resin impregnated Knots, heavy pieces of conic shaped wood, are the by-product of decomposed trunks of the big Araucarias buried under the soil for centuries.  These 30cm long Knots with a 15cm diameter can only be disintegrated by fire. 

The fire generated from the “No de Pinho” will burn for hours.  Those who add mature Eucalyptus wood to the burning knots generate more heat and burning time. 

This fire source will not last more than a decade.  Farmers continue to unearth them while plowing their fields.  Once unearthed,  they are piled and sold as firewood, a source of additional income. 

A snapshot of our journey past and forward as a nation managing resources for the benefit of present and future generations.