On July 18th, the municipality of Joanópolis, in the state of São Paulo, hosted the II Workshop on Production of Seedlings of Native Species, promoted by the Environmental Research Institute (IPA). The event, held at the headquarters of the “Da Serra Ambiental” nursery, brought together nurseries from the region with the main objective of guiding public policies and actions within the scope of the Refloresta SP Program, of the Secretariat of Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics (Semil) of the state of São Paulo.

Among the workshop participants were nurseries from Copaíba, who shared their perceptions and lessons learned during the event. For them, the meeting was a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, acquire new knowledge and strengthen partnerships. Myriam Ferreira, nurseryman at Copaíba, comments that “there were nurseries of all types and formats there, from small to large, that work in different ways from the way Copaíba does it on a daily basis, and this exchange between all of them is a great learning experience demonstrated and understood in practice.”

One of the moments that marked the day was the presentation of the techniques used in the production of seedlings of native species by the Da Serra team, which has focused on “paper pot”, biodegradable paper packaging that replaces traditional plastic “tubes” and, of which, the Joanópolis nursery recently acquired a machine for its production. Alexandra Godoy, supervisor of the Copaíba nursery, commented on how much this acquisition improved the production stages carried out by them and the team's availability to answer questions and answer curiosities brought by other nurseries.

In addition to lectures and practical demonstrations, the event provided a networking environment, where the more than 150 registrants were able to discuss common challenges and collaborative solutions. Débora Dias, nurseryman at Copaíba, highlighted the importance of meetings like this for the development of the Organization and herself, as well as the joy of noticing how much Copaíba is recognized in the world, and added: “I can say, it's gratifying for people to go through us and point and say “these are the women from Copaíba”, and think: wow, the thing really works, you know?”, amidst laughter.

Participation in the II Workshop on Production of Seedlings of Native Species reinforced the guidance on public policies and actions within the scope of the Refloresta SP Program, of the Secretariat of Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics (Semil) of the state of São Paulo, which has as target 1 .5 million hectares of restored areas by the year 2050. Flávia Balderi, coordinator of the nursery, highlighted the importance of completing a questionnaire, which will be analyzed extensively, bringing together all nurseries in the state of São Paulo, with the aim of generating a diagnosis of them and understand what the current reality is and where resources and investments can be applied to achieve the objectives of the state of São Paulo, which aims to strengthen the production chain and promote the conservation of native species.

Meetings like this are essential to strengthen the work of the restoration chain as a whole. The exchange of experiences and the updating of knowledge are fundamental to face current and future environmental challenges, such as climate change, carbon credits or the increase in demand for seedlings. Copaíba is happy for the opportunity to participate in this moment and highlights the words of Madalena Oliveria, nurseryman and seed collector for the Association: “each visit is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth.”