Welcome to the REGUA website!
The Atlantic Forest, or Mata Atlântica, 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.
The Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA) was established in 2001 to protect the remaining forests of the Guapiaçu valley, about 70 kilometres north of Rio de Janeiro in south-east Brazil.
REGUA's objective is to protect the remaining forest and biodiversity from deforestation, hunting and over-extraction of natural resources. If we are to be effective 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 biodiversity by restoring lost and damaged habitats and reintroducing lost species where practical. Our Environmental Education Programme is critical to the long-term success of the project and we work very closely with local communities, especially children, to convince them of the importance of this work.