Welcome to the REGUA team - volunteers, staff, rangers and friends
Photo by Rachel Walls

The young guards, 2006
Photo by Eleonora Pacheco

One of our guards - Adilei - caring for trees
Photo by Nicholas Locke

Protection

REGUA’s most important activity is that of protection part of which lies within the recently created 3 Picos Park. The RJ State University watershed ecologist specialist Prof. Tim Moulton mentioned that this particular river basin is one of the most preserved of the Serra do Mar in the State of RJ and worthy of all attempts to maintain its characteristic fauna and flora in order.

REGUA is a protected private area of 5656ha ( REGUA land 2576ha, Schincariol land 2300 ha and our member C Lemgruber 780ha).

We now have 7 guards, all ex-hunters and they are doing a brilliant job at their work and I am very happy to report the success of the protection programme at REGUA. There is almost no hunting occuring at the Serra do Mar farm and there has been a notable reduction of people crossing into the Schincariol farm. The young guards have embraced the idea and REGUA’s education visits at its conservation centre has also contributed in showing young community members to set the example.

We have elaborated a system of trails to help the guards walk the reserve and are constantly on the lookout for poachers, heart of palm extractors and forest fires. Keeping poachers out has enabled us to make an animal inventory as well offer conditions for tourism, further biology and botany studies by allowing the animals to increase their populations. REGUA has devised various trail leaflets for the tourist and as an example, birders are constantly finding better and better birds at lower and lower altitudes.

Our Land Purchase policy is another important manner to consolidate REGUA’s presence, set the example and contribute towards definitive protection. There are various parcels of land on the market ranging in size and price. We would like to offer donors the opportunity to help us purchase land within the upper Guapiaçu catchment valley such as the badly misused 800ha Joao Paulo farm, one that REGUA is just purchasing at this moment.