September is a month of celebration for the Copa\u00edba Environmentalist Association. On the 7th, the institution turns 16 years old. These are years of history, achievements and great challenges.<\/p>\n
With the mission of conserving and restoring the Atlantic Forest of the Peixe and Camanducaia river basins, Copa\u00edba was founded in 1999 by a group of friends who, realizing the degradation of the Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Socorro-SP, decided to act and work with restoration of riparian forests, initially, on the Rio do Peixe. The group's first action was modest: planting 80 seedlings in an area on the banks of the Rio do Peixe in Socorro. The workforce was under the responsibility of volunteers, including children and adults.<\/p>\n
The idea of restoring the Atlantic Forest in the region gained the support of new volunteers and other organizations. Over time, the NGO began to develop several integrated actions in the environmental area, through forest restoration projects and programs such as the production of native seedlings, awareness-raising and environmental policies.<\/p>\n
The year 2005 represents a milestone in the history of the institution: the move from Viveiro to its own headquarters in a lending system with another Socorro institution. With the change, the actions were expanded and the Camanducaia river basin also became part of the forest restoration projects. Copa\u00edba currently operates in 13 municipalities in the eastern region of the State of S\u00e3o Paulo and southern Minas Gerais. They are: Amparo, \u00c1guas de Lind\u00f3ia, Lind\u00f3ia, Itapira, Monte Alegre do Sul, Pedra Bela, Pinhalzinho, Socorro, Serra Negra, Bueno Brand\u00e3o, Munhoz, Toledo and Monte Si\u00e3o.<\/p>\n
The work of the Forest Nursery begins long before the formation of the hundreds of thousands of seedlings that today inhabit its beds and slopes. It all starts with the selection of trees in the remnants of Atlantic Forest scattered in the areas where Copa\u00edba operates. The matrices, as these trees are called, will be responsible for the seeds that will supply the beds and, when germinating, will become seedlings. Annually, around 300 thousand seedlings of native Atlantic Forest trees leave the Nursery to populate areas in different stages of degradation.<\/p>\n
Part of these seedlings are planted by Copa\u00edba itself, through forest restoration projects and programs, where hundreds of rural landowners have already benefited directly and today are partners in the restoration of the Atlantic Forest.<\/p>\n
In addition to the seedling production and recovery of degraded areas, Copa\u00edba carries out environmental awareness activities aimed at different audiences, from students from public and private education networks in the cities of the two basins to landowners who are partners in the planting work. seedlings.<\/p>\n
Thanks to these projects, many actions are developed. Another important aid is linked to the collaboration of individuals and companies that support the institution with monthly donations in cash, materials and services. Today, this support comes from 33 companies and 210 individuals. These resources, in addition to helping to maintain its structure and operation, are intended for the restoration of the Atlantic Forest. For every R$ 10.00 donated to Copa\u00edba, a native tree seedling is planted on properties in the region.<\/p>\n
Historically, Copa\u00edba has always had the help and support of society that believes in this cause. For some people, this contribution is a way of also collaborating with nature conservation.<\/p>\n
Why do people support Copa\u00edba?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cAt least 13 years ago, I joined other young people from Socorrhiza in the fight for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. At that time, the Copa\u00edba Environmentalist Association was a small institution that lived on the voluntary work of a few. Today, 16 years after its foundation, Copa\u00edba has become great, either because of what it has already done or because of the ambition present in each action\u201d,\u00a0Henrique Picarelli, journalist and historian.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cIn our company, environmental issues always have top priority. So that we could be efficient in the implementation of actions in this area, we sought a partnership with Copa\u00edba as it is a serious, determined and very competent institution, capable of putting these actions into practice effectively. I consider Copa\u00edba, without a doubt, the best structured environmental association in our region and a reference in our country, for that reason you will always have my full support\u201d,\u00a0Jos\u00e9 Fernandes Franco, agronomist and entrepreneur<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cAs a teacher, I believe that Copa\u00edba's participation is a differential for the study with my students and, in addition, it is fundamental for them to understand how important it is to preserve and recover the environment. As it belongs to the municipality, Copa\u00edba offers opportunities to people who have not done anything for the environment or who have not taken the initiative to do so. Copa\u00edba awakens in people an initiative to want to contribute and do the best for the environment\u201d,\u00a0Ana Helena Bozzer Machado, teacher.<\/i><\/p>\n
In these 16 years of work, Copa\u00edba has sensitized more than 25,000 students and landowners, has recovered more than 3,000,000 m\u00b2 of degraded areas with the planting of 450,000 seedlings in 160 properties. In total, more than 30,000 meters of watercourse banks in the Peixe and Camanducaia river basins were restored. In addition to the forest restoration around 202 springs that were drying up, and today some owners are already celebrating the increase in the flow of water.<\/p>\n
Copa\u00edba was born from an almost naive dream of reforesting the banks of a river. Like a seed planted, the dream grew and today it works in the reforestation of streams, springs and rivers in several municipalities and will do much more.<\/p>\n
Although Copa\u00edba has become a much larger institution than we dreamed of in 1999, we are still small in the face of the challenge that lies ahead.<\/p>\n