Integrated actions of reforestation, research, community involvement, and environmental education that collaborate to increase knowledge about the importance of water and the Atlantic Forest biodiversity by the region’s residents and decision-makers.

Green Springs, Living Rivers

The Nazaré Paulista region is a priority for environmental conservation and Atlantic Forest restoration actions because it is located at the headwaters of the Piracicaba River Basin and is home to the Atibainha River reservoir, which, together with the Cachoeira, Jaguari-Jacareí and Paiva Castro reservoirs, make up the Cantareira System. The water supply for around 14 million people depends on this system (5 million in the interior and 9 million in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region). Several remnants of the Atlantic Forest in this region, as well as being home to species of fauna and flora at varying levels of threat of extinction, provide one of the most important ecosystem services for mankind: the protection of water sources.

The “Nascentes Verdes, Rios Vivos” (Green Springs, Living Rivers) project integrates reforestation, research, community involvement and environmental education actions to raise awareness of the importance of water and the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest among the region’s residents and decision-makers. The actions include diagnosing priority areas for ecological restoration; facilitating the recovery of riparian areas by planting native trees; holding participatory forums and environmental education activities; disseminating information among researchers and decision-makers and disseminating the project’s actions to communities in the municipality and region.