“In 2023, we focused both externally, seeking new ideas and resources to implement our strategy, and internally, strengthening and developing our institution. We invested in people management, infrastructure, and improvements in administrative processes, governance, and partnerships.

This year marked the first complete cycle of our three-year strategy, which runs until 2026. Our strategy is organized into three areas of action: territorial, national, and international, all addressing water, biodiversity, and climate issues.

For our territorial focus, we have prioritized the Tietê and Paraíba do Sul river basins. These regions have the potential to integrate projects from various fields for greater impact. Additionally, they are close to our headquarters in Itu and connect two major cities in the Atlantic Forest region – São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Our actions included elections to the State Environmental Council of São Paulo and River Basin Committees, as well as partnerships with conservation units such as Itatiaia National Park, Serra da Bocaina National Park, and Ipanema National Forest. We also supported Private Natural Heritage Reserves.

Maps of the priority areas of action. Respectively, of the Paraíba do Sol nucleus and the Tietê nucleus. 

Nationally, the challenges in Brasília remained significant. In 2023, we maintained almost constant vigilance in the National Congress, collaborated with partner organizations at the Supreme Federal Court, and initiated new efforts to expand our network of relationships and partnerships. By the end of the legislative year, we succeeded in preserving the integrity of the Atlantic Forest Law.

Despite various threats, we identified a positive outlook for forest conservation. The trend of decreasing deforestation was confirmed by both the Atlas of Forest Remnants and the Atlantic Forest Deforestation Alert System, with data widely reported by the Brazilian press.

New international partnerships, particularly with the Hempel Foundation and Salesforce Foundation, allowed us to extend the reach of the Atlantic Forest. We participated in the Climate Conference (United Arab Emirates) and the World Conference on Ecological Restoration (Australia). Supported by Ypê, a partner of our Observing the Rivers program, we also attended the Water Conference (United States).

At these global forums, we presented the Atlantic Forest as a crucial ally in addressing the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. Aligned with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, we showcased successful examples of biome recovery, highlighting our own results and those of the networks we are part of.

Internally, this year marked the beginning of a diversity initiative for our team, conducted with the support of Diáspora Black, a consultancy specializing in equity, inclusion, and diversity in the workplace.

With all these efforts, we hope that 2024 will be a year of advancing positive agendas for our home biome, fulfilling our mission to raise societal awareness in defense of the Atlantic Forest.”

Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, Executive Director 

Marcia Hirota, Chairperson of the Board

With our move to Itu now finalized, we are committed to enhancing our facilities. We have completed the construction of accommodations, which can now host up to 15 people at a time. Additionally, we have launched the Educational Space Snoopy and His Gang in the Forest.

The new accommodation facilities were inaugurated with the arrival of two interns from the University of Oxford, England, who spent several months collaborating with the mobilization and protected areas teams of the Foundation.

Various funding sources have enabled the Foundation to support the work of other environmental organizations within the biome. We organized meetings of the Atlantic Forest NGOs Network in the South, Southeast, and Northeast regions, with approximately 100 participants, and were elected to the Council of the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact.