Formigas-de-Embaúba

Implementing partner:

Educating children and adolescents about the environment is like planting seeds for the future. From this perspective, Instituto Justiça (IJ) created a front of action focused on environmental regeneration through education, with a set of pedagogical initiatives that strengthen the bond between children, educators, and nature.

This initiative is part of the RegeneRaízes program, which supports projects aimed at environmental and climate regeneration based on education, community participation, and reconnection with local territories. Through it, we seek to encourage practices that promote healthier ecosystems and more aware, just, and resilient societies.

Project impacts

1.899
Students
impacted

4.109
Trees
planted

136
Native
species

1.942 m²
Reforested
area

29,8 ton
CO₂
offset

Updated on: 05/01/2026

To implement this work, IJ partnered with the implementing partner Formigas-de-Embaúba, a nonprofit organization that has been transforming the relationship of thousands of students with nature through an audacious project: bringing mini-forests to public schools in Greater São Paulo by planting thousands of native Atlantic Forest trees in urban areas with limited tree cover.

This initiative combines education, environmental regeneration, and collective mobilization. It takes place through two complementary paths:

Training public school teachers to develop environmental education projects with their students.
Participatory planting of mini-forests within the schools themselves, with the direct involvement of children, educators, and communities.

Over months of activities integrated into the curriculum, students learn about soil, vegetation, water availability, climate change, and food production.

The planting marks the conclusion of this educational journey — a symbolic moment, with the presence of the local community, like a graduation ceremony in the forest.

More than landscaping, these mini-forests provide shade, reduce ambient temperature, purify the air, produce food, and can become outdoor classrooms. They are living spaces that educate, inspire, and connect.

To ensure they develop and become part of the communities, each mini-forest is monitored for a two-year period after planting, with technical visits and specialist support.

Why the Atlantic Forest?

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most diverse biomes on the planet — and one of the most threatened1. According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), more than 70% of its original vegetation has already been destroyed2. Between 2021 and 2022, the deforestation of 20,000 hectares resulted in the release of nearly 10 million tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere3.

Preserving and regenerating the Atlantic Forest is essential for life in the country:
– It is home to nearly 70% of Brazil’s population1.
– It accounts for approximately 80% of the national economy1.
– It produces half of the food consumed in Brazil3.
– It protects springs, rivers, and slopes — preventing floods and landslides

One forest in every school, a lesson for a lifetime

Instituto Justiça has carried out these plantings in selected schools since 2022 and contributes monthly to the maintenance of Formigas-de-Embaúba through donations dedicated to its structural support, strengthening the organization’s sustainability and capacity for action.

The goal, beyond planting trees, is to form people who understand the value of ecosystems and the urgency of preserving them.

Plantings carried out with the support of Instituto Justiça:

CEU Parque Bristol (07/10/2025): 360 students, 390 trees, 250 m², 2.8 tons of CO₂

CEIM Giovanna de Oliveira Leite (14/11/2024): 124 students, 400 trees, 200 m², 2.9 tons of CO₂

EMEF Plácido de Castro (24/10/2024): 360 students, 800 trees, 400 m², 5.8 tons of CO₂

EMEI Pérola Ellis Byington (19/10/2024): 360 students, 430 trees, 215 m², 3.1 tons of CO₂

CEU Paraisópolis (22/10/2023): 363 students, 367 trees, 175 m², 2.7 tons of CO₂

CEU Vila do Sol (Oct/2022): 362 students, 1,172 trees planted, 350 m² of reforested area, 8.5 tons of CO₂ offset

Gallery

We at Instituto Justiça believe that education and nature go hand in hand. Through our partnership with Formigas-de-Embaúba, we reaffirm our commitment to environmental regeneration, social equity, and building a more just and sustainable future.

Shall we plant this idea together?