Every year thousands of hectares of forests are devastated by fires, with serious impacts on biodiversity, air quality, or people's lives. The Serra do Papagaio region is within the Atlantic Forest biome, one of the richest biomes in the world. Each hectare of the Atlantic Forest can contain up to 4 thousand plant species and tens of thousands of animal species. Every time a fire hits an area like this it is this kind of wealth that is being destroyed, maybe forever.
The prevention and the fight against forest fires are, currently, the most effective measure to protect these areas and ensure their survival for future generations. The Matutu Fire Brigade has been doing this work each and every year since 1993, training new volunteers and working alongside local organizations.
About the Brigade
The mountain and forest fire brigade of Matutu is the first volunteer fire brigade in the southeast of Brazil. It was created in 1993 from the organized work of the residents of the community and formalised in 1995 with the institution of the Matutu Foundation.
Through projects and partnerships, the Matutu brigade certified over 500 new mountain fire fighters and trained more than 1500 volunteers across various locations in the protected areas of the Mantiqueira Mountains, along the Serra do Papagaio state park and across many other areas in Brazil, Argentina and Spain.
The Brigade is responsible for monitoring the reserve all year round. During the dry season the fire surveillance and detection system is activated, and throughout the rest of the year the focus is turned to the prevention of hunting and uncoordinated tourism.
The fire brigade is equipped with drones and camera sets, as well as a radio communication system that interconnects the various brigades across the project of volunteer communities around the Serra do Papagaio.
The Brigade's area of action encompasses the Matutu Reserve, the Serra do Papagaio State Park and its surrounding areas.
Matutu Foundation
The Matutu Foundation, an organization of the Civil Society, has the mission to promote social inclusion through participatory decision making, environmental education, the bettering of life quality of the local communities and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Established in 1995, the Foundation has developed various social and environmental initiatives, The Matutu Reserve and the Papagaio Mountain Range serving as the main demonstrative examples of these projects that reflect the effectiveness of this approach experienced here - one which sees the integration of the natural ecosystem with the various populations that inhabit it.
Based in the Matutu Valley, in the state of Minas Gerais, the foundation has been working, since its establishment, to preserve water resources and the remains of the Atlantic Forest, focusing mainly in the area of the Matutu Reserve and the Papagaio Mountain Range.
