LAND PURCHASE
REGUA's mission is the protection and conservation of forest remnants of the Atlantic Forest in the Guapiaçu river catchment. Our objective being restoration and protection of local fauna and flora, which helps contribute to the preservation of the whole Guapiaçu watershed area, which is an important water supply for the eastern Metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.
One of the main activities to achieve this is the acquisition of areas of land which have been offered to us by neighbouring landowners when they are no longer of any agricultural or commercial value to them.
This then allows us to reforest land and connect the fragments of forests still present. This has resulted in an expansion of the total area of the Reserve.
The original area of REGUA land in 2005, is represented by the top left map and was approximately 2900 hectares. REGUA currently owns or has management agreements over an area of approximately 8000 hectares, as can be seen in the lower map on the left.
Once land is purchased we are able to start restoration of the forest. This programme began in 2004, and is focused on the recovery of forest ecosystems in degraded areas of slopes and lowlands, also including original lentic ecosystems in Permanent Preservation Areas - APP, such as springs, river banks and wetlands. For this, REGUA has important partners such as Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust, World Land Trust, Saving Nature, Petrobras, SOS Mata Atlântica, Iniciativa Verde, WWF-Brasil, Ecosia, INEA and CEDAE.