Eucalyptus rows
Towering trees.
Diego Minatel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anne Valladares — Public domain · Jani Pereira — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jayme Tosi Neto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jayme Tosi Neto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jayme Tosi Neto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jayme Tosi Neto — CC BY-SA 4.0
In the late nineteenth century São Paulo's railway companies needed vast amounts of timber for sleepers and charcoal, so the Companhia Paulista set up tree nurseries in several towns. The largest was founded at Rio Claro in 1909. It is named after the agronomist Edmundo Navarro de Andrade, who in 1914 brought 144 species of eucalyptus from Australia and carried out research that made the site Brazil's reference for growing the tree; the work led in 1916 to the Eucalyptus Museum, the only one of its kind in the country. The old nursery became a state forest in 2002, covering more than 2,200 hectares. Today the forest combines tall rows of trees, lakes and the railway company's old buildings, and locals come to walk, cycle and picnic. Entry is free, and weekend mornings are a good time to visit.
Towering trees.
Unique in Brazil.
Family picnics.
Edge of Rio Claro, São Paulo state
Yes, the broad forest tracks are popular with cyclists and walkers.
