The Atlantic Forest stretches from north-east Brazil south along the Brazilian Atlantic coastline into Uruguay and inland into Argentina and Paraguay. The Forest once covered an estimated 1.5 million square kilometers. Centuries of deforestation have reduced the forest to 7% of its original size. Only 2% is still primary forest. The Atlantic Forest has become the second most threatened biome in the world – Madagascar being the first. Even today, this region is ranked in the top five of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

We got to witness, firsthand, the success that two dedicated people – Raquel and Nicholas Locke – have had with the reforestation program. Lost and damaged habitats are being restored and lost species are being reintroduced where possible. If this pair of dedicated ecologists is having such success, imagine what lots of people can do – we can make a difference.

REGUA’s objective is to protect the remaining forest and inhabitants from deforestation, hunting and depletion of natural resources. Environmental education is the key to long-term success in the protection and restoration of the world’s precious ecosystems.

This website explains how the economy and ecology are related. Everything we do has an impact on the world. Everything has a cost – ECOlogically and ECOnomically. Saving resources is the same whether it is money or electricity. We all need to remember that the earth is fragile – each use of electricity is generated and uses resources to be created. Each piece of food relies upon the environment, and uses energy to be harvested and distributed.

REGUA helps us to understand, in a real way, how precious every tree and drop of water is. Without the protection of the rainforest we will have the Sahara Desert as the landscape – that’s what happened. We just have to start this consciousness raising on a very local level.