National Atlantic Forest Day: get to know the association that has been contributing to restoring the forest and raising awareness for generations for over 25 years<\/b><\/p>\n
The date refers to the first description of Atlantic vegetation made in 1500 by Friar Vicente do Salvador<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Celebrated on May 27, National Atlantic Forest Day was established in 1999 as a way to draw society's attention to the importance of conserving one of the planet's most biodiverse biomes \u2014 and also one of the most threatened. The date refers to the first description of Atlantic vegetation made in 1500 by Friar Vicente do Salvador, and aims to reinforce the urgency of protecting the forest, promote the recovery of degraded areas and encourage public policies focused on sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n The Atlantic Forest extends across 17 Brazilian states and originally covered approximately 1.3 million km\u00b2. Today, only approximately 12% of its original coverage remains, according to data from the SOS Mata Atl\u00e2ntica Foundation. Given this scenario, several initiatives have emerged over the years to try to reverse the degradation. One of them was born in the municipality of Socorro, in the interior of S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/span><\/p>\n Founded in 1999 by a group of friends concerned about the devastation of the forest in the region, the Copa\u00edba Environmental Association is a non-profit civil society organization, recognized as an OSCIP (Civil Society Organization of Public Interest). Since then, the organization has become a reference in ecological restoration actions, production of seedlings of native species, environmental education and participation in public policies.<\/span><\/p>\n Throughout its history, Copa\u00edba has shown that change is possible and necessary. The association has already produced more than 4 million seedlings, planted more than 1 million trees, involving 700 partner landowners, and restored 809 hectares of degraded areas. In addition, more than 40 thousand people have participated in environmental education activities and experiences promoted by the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n Currently, Copa\u00edba operates in 19 municipalities in the eastern region of the State of S\u00e3o Paulo and southern Minas Gerais \u2014 regions of the Peixe and Camanducaia Basins \u2014 contributing not only to the recovery of the Atlantic Forest, but also to the formation of a collective conscience in favor of environmental preservation, as highlighted by Ana Paula Balderi, Ecological Restoration Coordinator at Copa\u00edba.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOn this National Atlantic Forest Day, learning about and supporting initiatives like Copa\u00edba\u2019s is a concrete way to participate in building a greener and more balanced future. Forest restoration not only recovers ecosystems, but also improves water and air quality and promotes biodiversity,\u201d he points out.<\/span><\/p>\n Copa\u00edba's operations are broad and structured around four main areas:<\/span><\/p>\n To learn more about the work of the Copa\u00edba Environmental Association and how to contribute, visit:<\/span> https:\/\/copaiba.org.br<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n More about Copaiba<\/b><\/p>\n Created in 1999 by a group of friends who were concerned about the degradation of the Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Socorro-SP, the Copa\u00edba Environmental Association is a non-profit organization, qualified as a Civil Society Organization of Public Interest (OSCIP) and which operates in 19 municipalities in the eastern region of the State of S\u00e3o Paulo and southern Minas Gerais. Currently, the association promotes ecological restoration projects and programs; production of native seedlings; environmental education initiatives and participation in public policies. In total, more than 4 million seedlings have been produced, 380 partner landowners, 713 hectares have been restored and 40 thousand participants in Environmental Education experiences. Learn more at:\u00a0https:\/\/copaiba.org.br\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n