Over more than three decades, our work has drawn on scientific research to guide restoration in practice: territorial mapping to identify priority areas for species survival, such as forest corridors; large-scale planting strategies, as well as small-scale approaches that strengthen agroecology; and the use of technologies to monitor outcomes for flora and fauna, including autonomous audio recorders to detect animal sounds in the forest, camera traps, and remote sensing technologies such as LiDAR to estimate forest biomass and carbon stocks and measure carbon uptake by forests.

Innovation is also social, linking community engagement, environmental education, and income generation to restoration activities.

An effective and successful socio-environmental conservation project depends on the combined efforts of all sectors: government, businesses, and civil society. Designed to endure and deliver long-term results, the forest restoration approach proposed by IPÊ aims to align diverse social interests and priorities to achieve our biodiversity conservation goals. In this way, we connect people and professionals who can become partners and contribute to our mission.

One of the global goals for addressing desertification and the climate crisis is the restoration of forest areas. The United Nations designated 2021–2030 as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Globally, the challenge is to restore 1 billion hectares. Brazil has set a goal of restoring 12 million hectares by 2030, in line with the country’s climate targets. Together with zero illegal deforestation and other targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, these represent Brazil’s contributions to addressing the climate crisis.

Forest restoration must incorporate a diversity of species capable of restoring local biodiversity and providing habitats for wildlife, whether as pathways or places to live. We aim to create forests that attract wildlife, avoiding what we call the “empty forest” effect. We have achieved this in areas where Atlantic Forest corridors have been planted in the Pontal do Paranapanema. In addition to attracting wildlife, we also seek to support the continued presence of traditional communities in their territories by promoting a diversity of species that can generate income through sociobiodiversity products. The proposal is to reconcile forest conservation as a means of attracting wildlife with the development of sustainable economic alternatives for the populations that live within these forests.

Our socio-environmental conservation model sees environmental education and social participation as drivers of transformation. Through our projects, we engage local communities in envisioning and driving the changes they seek for their territories. This approach has contributed to the success of a wide range of initiatives, from restoration-related businesses, such as community and planting nurseries, to seed networks and groups whose activities are connected to socio-environmental conservation, such as the Atlantic Forest embroidery group, whose members draw inspiration from forest biodiversity to create purpose-driven products.

The restoration initiatives we implement also seek to strengthen sociobiodiversity value chains by introducing and managing species of economic value to traditional communities.
The path toward transforming territories into more sustainable places with higher quality of life emerges from the exchange between our professionals and technical experts and local and ancestral knowledge. This connection is key to making a difference
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