Instituto Águas da Serra da Bodoquena (IASB)
The NGO Instituto Águas da Serra da Bodoquena (IASB) was created in 2002 by environmentalists and riverside communities. Its mission is to provide the management of natural resources through integrative and sustainable practices of recovering and preserving the regional soils, forests, rivers, and overall biodiversity.
IASB’s target area is the Bodoquena Hills in southern Mato Grosso do Sul, where Bonito is placed. The region comprises a mosaic of open savannas, grasslands, swamps, and deciduous, semideciduous and evergreen forests. The Serra da Bodoquena National Park (76,481 ha) protects the largest remnant area of natural habitats of midwest Brazil, and is one of the most representative protected areas of Brazilian deciduous forests.
The IASB’s Plante Bonito project has recovered dozens hectares of deforested areas in Bonito by planting thousands of native tree species since 2007 (table 1). This is a pioneer program to restore native forests in the Bodoquena region, with the engagement of private companies, governmental agencies, other non-profit organizations, landowners, and citizens. IASB also develops environmental education for local communities and stakeholders, guiding and encouraging them to adopt eco-friendly habits.
For an overview of Bonito and Bodoquena regions, and of sites where the Plante Bonito project has planted saplings, click here (You need Google Earth installed. After openning the file, boxes need to be checked in the GE Temporary Places).
Table 1. Restoration sites of the Plante Bonito project, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| Sites |
Area (ha) |
Forest type |
Planted saplings |
Species used |
Project Stage |
| Balneário Municipal | 0.01 | Semideciduous | 40 | 5 | Concluded |
| Cabeceira do Prata Reserve | 0.1 | Savanna | 331 | 20 | Concluded |
| Chácara Cristal | 0.005 | Semideciduous | 30 | 5 | Monitoring |
| Chácara Grota Funda | 0.04 | Semideciduous | 132 | 10 | Monitoring |
| Chácara Ouro Verde | 0.4 | Semideciduous | 449 | 25 | Ongoing |
| Chácara Paraíso | 0.1 | Semideciduous | 205 | 15 | Monitoring |
| Chácara Pedra Bonita | 0.005 | Semideciduous | 30 | 5 | Monitoring |
| Chácara Reis | 0.2 | Semideciduous | 61 | 15 | Ongoing |
| Chácara Santa Rita | 0.06 | Semideciduous | 140 | 10 | Concluded |
| Córrego Restinga | 0.04 | Semideciduous | 80 | 10 | Concluded |
| Estância Mimosa | 0.5 | Semideciduous | 505 | 30 | Ongoing |
| Lagoa Misteriosa | 0.8 | Savanna | 919 | 35 | Ongoing |
| Parque Ecológico Rio Formoso | 1 | Semideciduous | 1313 | 50 | Ongoing |
| Sítio Anjo Gabriel | 0.1 | Semideciduous | 224 | 25 | Concluded |
| Sítio Santa Rita | 0.08 | Semideciduous | 184 | 17 | Monitoring |
