Rio is defined by its sandy beaches and relaxed vibes. The center city is also celebrated for its lively culture. But thinking about the two as a combination, a coastal city, is interesting. Today, we visited Fernando Chacel’s garden in Barra and experienced this idea.

We walked along the mangrove coastline, where the dense and intricate coastal trees provide essential ecosystem services and buffer the coastline. The garden in between the park and the mangroves was deliberately designed to protect the trees. Seeing the contrast showed the careful nature of landscape architects!

We enjoyed today and were a bit more relaxed. This is our last week and with this visit as well as our past ones, we are feeling more accustomed to the landscape of Rio. It is truly very very diverse. We are taking it all in while also comparing and contrasting how each landscape fuels the culture and the way people live.

The coastal city of Rio is an incredibly complex ecosystem and as development is continuing to occur, we support the idea of design our landscapes to protect natural areas.

~ Shailja & Tristan