In 2003, a retired man planted trees on forgotten land alone; 20 years later, it had become one of Sao Paulo's largest urban forests

In 2003, Helio da Silva, a retired food industry executive, began planting trees on an abandoned stretch of land in São Paulo.

By 2008, the area was officially recognized as Tiquatira Park, São Paulo's first linear park, stretching about 3.2 kilometers and about 100 meters wide.

Tiquatira Park now contains thousands of trees representing around 160 species and is home to dozens of bird species.

Da Silva funded the project with his own money, spending around $7,000 a year, and continued caring for the trees until his retirement in 2022.