The month of September is marked with the beginning of spring, the flowering of plants, the month of celebration of the day of the tree.

For the Copaíba Environmentalist Association, there is much more to celebrate. On the 7th, the institution completed 17 years of work in defense of the Atlantic Forest.

The idea arose in 1999, by a group of volunteers, creators and nature lovers, who got together motivated to conserve and restore the riparian forests of the Peixe River.

Today, Copaíba has grown and operates not only in the Peixe basin, but has included in its mission the conservation and restoration of the Camanducaia river basin, covering 20 municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais and São Paulo.

Since then, Copaíba, through its projects and programs aimed at the conservation of the Atlantic Forest, has started the forest restoration of 3,354,000 m2 of native forests, through the planting of over 470 thousand seedlings.

In addition to forest restoration, seedlings of native trees are produced daily at the institution's Forest Nursery. To date, production exceeds 1,600,000 seedlings. All of them are provided for projects to recover areas of Copaíba itself or third-party projects.

In addition, environmental awareness actions are part of the institution's daily routine. Young people and children visit the nursery and learn, in practice, the importance of protecting the forest for water conservation. Land owners are also sensitized. It is through partnerships with them that many forests are being formed in the region. Hard work with incredible results. More than 200 springs of the Peixe and Camanducaia rivers have already been recovered, many of them guaranteeing, today, good quality water.

So many positive results are the result of the work and dedication of the executive team, directors, tax advisors, volunteers, interns, friendly and collaborating companies, contributing partners, land owners, partners and friends of the institution. Thanks to the effort and determination of all employees, this date is celebrated with great pride.

The Copaiba tree

It is she who gives the name to the institution. Amidst so many other species of native trees and without neglecting the others, Copaíba was chosen to symbolize the conservation of local biodiversity.

It is during this month, September, that many tree species resume their growth. New leaves begin to appear all over the treetops. Copaíba, in particular, stands out at this time of year, with its reddish leaves that turn green after a few weeks. It was this natural beauty that inspired the founders of the environmental association to honor the native species.