Rainforest Trust and Brazilian partner REGUA are leading efforts to protect the Atlantic Rainforest – a region of Brazil’s east coast that once spanned over 500,000 square miles.

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As urban sprawl from nearby Rio de Janeiro threatens the surrounding area, protecting the crucial rainforest habitat of the Upper Guapiaçu River Basin becomes increasingly difficult. Rainforest Trust’s local partner currently safeguards 22,000 acres at REGUA reserve, but continuously seeks to expand the area in an attempt to conserve the roughly 7% of Atlantic Rainforest that still exists.

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By strategically purchasing land and establishing protection agreements, REGUA protects vital forest habitat for many of the most threatened animals in the region, ensuring a home for 60 mammal species, including Pumas, Ocelots, Jaguarundis, Three-toed Sloths and South America’s largest primate – the critically endangered Woolly Spider Monkey.

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Rainforest Trust’s GIS & Conservation Officer, Carly Voight, recently visited the reserve to review REGUA’s progress and to discuss future plans. Voight noted that in 2015 alone, Rainforest Trust enabled REGUA to protect nearly 1,000 additional acres.

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“In addition to increasing the size of the reserve, REGUA is always looking ahead,” said Voight. This year, the organization plans to acquire more properties and to reintroduce a group of Black-fronted Piping Guans and Lowland Tapirs.

“REGUA carries out a widespread approach to conservation by reintroducing species and collaborating with local communities,” noted Voight. “This approach ensures the remaining forest and species receive the protection they desperately need.”

For more information about the protection of Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest and Rainforest Trust’s partnership with REGUA, read about the project here.