Welcome to the REGUA website!
REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) protects one of the last stands of tropical rainforest left in the severely depleted Atlantic Rainforest, or Mata Atlântica, in Brazil.
The Atlantic Forest stretches from north-east Brazil south along the Brazilian Atlantic coastline just into coastal Uruguay, and inland into north-east Argentina and eastern Paraguay. Once covering an estimated 1,477,500 km2, centuries of deforestation has seen the Atlantic Forest become the second most threatened biome in the world after Madagascar. Today only 7% of the original forest area remains, an area of 100,000 km2, and only an estimated 2% is still primary forest. Despite the loss and habitat fragmentation, this ecoregion is still ranked in the top five of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
REGUA’s primary objective is to protect the remaining forest and biodiversity from deforestation, hunting and over-extraction of natural resources. If we are to be effective in this protection then we need to understand what species are present and their status, and so REGUA is developing a comprehensive monitoring programme. REGUA also aims to improve the diversity by restoring lost and damaged habitats and reintroducing lost species where practical. REGUA is working with the local inhabitants, and especially the children, to convince them of the need and importance of this work. The REGUA Environmental Education Programme is critical to the long-term success of the project.