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Greener Iguaba Project (Brazil) [2025]

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Country: Brazil

Site: Praia de Ubás

Target: Tourists and visitors, Practitioners, Local communities and residents, Families and Kids

Short Description

The Greener Iguaba Project is an urban afforestation initiative in Iguaba Grande (RJ) that seeks to restore degraded areas, value local biodiversity, and promote environmental education. Launched in April 2025, its first stage involves planting 2,200 seedlings—mainly native species like Aroeira—across neighbourhoods and along the Araruama Lagoon. The work includes soil preparation, organic fertilization, hydrogel use, irrigation, and technical monitoring, contributing to the conservation of fauna, especially birds, while raising public awareness of the ecological and social benefits of afforestation. Beyond tree planting, the project uses environmental education as a central tool by engaging residents in participatory planting, distributing seedlings, and demonstrating proper techniques for planting and care. Activities are tied to symbolic dates such as Earth Day to expand outreach, while integrating sustainability into the city’s daily life and tourist spaces. This hands-on approach fosters community involvement, strengthens connections with nature, and highlights the importance of urban afforestation for both people and ecosystems.

Goals

  • Increase urban vegetation coverage with native species.

  • Promote environmental education and community awareness.

  • Contribute to improving environmental quality and urban health.

Reproducibility

  • In the first phase, 2,200 seedlings were planted, 500 per neighborhood and 200 along the lagoon shore. The action resulted in greater urban shading, creation of habitats for birds and pollinators, and greater dust retention on the roads. The choice of native species favored ecological balance and plant resistance. The social impact is also significant: residents began to actively participate in the care of the seedlings, and there was an increase in the positive perception of urban greenery. The project contributes to the mitigation of heat islands and to the control of erosion and flooding.