Restoring the Atlantic Rainforest with the help of local farmers
Every acre we protect and every river mile we restore begins with you. Your support helps us take on the dual threats of climate change and biodiversity loss across South Brazil.
Who We Are
The Association for the Preservation of Environment and Life – Apremavi, is a local environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.
Founded in Brazil through grassroots action in 1987, Apremavi has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the country.
Our headquarters are in Atalanta (SC) near to an Environmental Center and a nursery of seedlings of native Atlantic Rainforest trees.
Our Mission
Defend, preserve and recover the environment and cultural values, seeking sustainability in all dimensions and improving the quality of life in the Atlantic Rainforest and other biomes.
Trees planted
Restored properties
Awards
How We Work
Throughout our trajectory, we mobilized great efforts to improve environmental policies, to create public and private conservation units, to pursue environmental education, in addition to working daily in the restoration and recovery of degraded areas.
Tree Nursery
The Jardim das Florestas Tree Nursery is one of the largest nurseries in southern Brazil, with the capacity to produce around one million seedlings per year of nearly 200 native species of the Atlantic Rainforest. The seedlings, produced in Ellepot, a system that uses a degradable paper package, are intended primarily to serve the ecological restoration projects, enriching forests mechanism and recovering degraded areas actions developed by Apremavi.
Environmental Center
The Jardim das Florestas Environmental Center houses Apremavi’s headquarters. As a green building that uses solar energy, reuses rainwater and is located in the middle of the Atlantic Rainforest, the Center allows Apremavi to develop numerous educational activities and share knowledge for the conservation of biodiversity. Offering trails, a belvedere with a beautiful view of the Serra do Pitoco, cozy accommodation for up to 16 people, a library, meeting rooms, and audithorium, it supports Apremavi’s internship program and it is also a tourist attraction in the region.
Restoring and Monitoring the Forest
To help monitor restored areas, Apremavi created an Environmental Portal, an online platform developed using geographic data, remote sensing, satellite, drones and in situ images, among other means, to measure the progress and effectiveness of tree plantations. In addition to being a monitoring tool, the platform is also an instrument for public transparency allowing Apremavi’s partners, supporters, and staff to access data related to the restoration projects, such as information on methodologies and the number of tree species used in plantations, maps and sketches of properties, photos of project execution, etc.
Before and After
As well as the organization’s relevance for environmental preservation and conservation, the native seedlings that were placed in the land through the various projects developed over time also grew, in a continuous process. Among the many numbers and indicators that can be cited to represent Apremavi’s work, the impact on landscapes stands out, representing the planning of rural properties, the protection of water resources and biodiversity, and even the diversification of the source of income in the family farming.
Check out some before and after provided by Apremavi projects in different cities, contexts, and scales over time.
Our Partners
Testimonials
Apremavi is an organization that I admire a lot, mainly because it is from the interior of Brazil and manages to have national repercussions. Everyone says you need to be in big cities, like São Paulo, but they showed you don’t need to. Their lives are dedicated to the cause, and when that happens, there are no limits. Apremavi is a real inspiration for everyone, working in the nursery, with the restoration, always surpassing itself with creativity.
I know Apremavi in loco and the thing that touches me the most is that, from the beginning, its founders had the philosophy and understanding of the opportunity that was to restore and plant species from the Atlantic Rainforest. The initial group was very small and always sought to restore, enrich and let the Atlantic Rainforest breathe, return to the way it was before being deforested. They struggled to transform these areas into protected areas, with activism that started at home and moved to Brazil. They managed to reach a much wider audience, but in the spirit of doing it for their own home, for the community, and for the common good. They collaborated to bring the Atlantic Rainforest to legislation. I admire this environmentalist stubbornness. They really love what they do, they are contagious not only on the rational side but also on account of their enthusiasm and personal commitment.
Klabin’s relationship with Apremavi only brings benefits, because we learned to work with an NGO. 33 years ago, when I joined the company, this was unimaginable. There was learning on both sides. I believe Klabin explores in the best possible way what a company needs to work with stakeholders. We see a sense of commitment to the community and a change in the way the company interacts, moving away from the paternalistic thinking, still common in the private sector.
Donate
Your donation helps Apremavi produce seedlings of native trees to restore forests and recover degraded areas, carry out environmental education projects, and conduct campaigns for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest.