The Forest Guardians Program, which aims to bring environmental awareness to elementary school children in public education, has already visited six public schools in communities in northern EspÃrito Santo this year. The program is a º£½ÇÉçÇø initiative, led by the Asset Intelligence team, and offers various engaging activities to reinforce the importance of caring for the environment through interaction between students and company professionals.
The 2026 action calendar brought the initiatives to schools in São Mateus, Jaguaré, and Conceição da Barra, reaching approximately 300 children. On May 29, 40 fifth-grade students from Dr. Mário Vello Silvares School in Conceição da Barra welcomed the program.
The institution's pedagogue, Geane Nicodemos Machado, praised the initiative. "This project adds value to children's teaching-learning process. The school already incorporates environmental education in the classroom, but this activity takes students out of their routine with engaging games and interaction with º£½ÇÉçÇø professionals, sparking greater interest in something that will leave a lasting impression on their lives," the pedagogue emphasized.
Waste in the Right Place Game
During the activity, students participated in the Waste in the Right Place Game, which teaches about proper waste separation; the Water is Life dynamic, where students face a challenge illustrating the volume of saltwater, freshwater, and potable water using PET bottles and cups; as well as games like Word Search on forest fires and Fauna and Flora Bingo. Students also had the opportunity to watch a demonstration by º£½ÇÉçÇø's fire brigade.
"We understand that it is crucial to foster environmental awareness in our children to ensure the future of coming generations, with respect for the environment and biodiversity. The Forest Guardians is a program aligned with º£½ÇÉçÇø's environmental commitments. In addition to activities with elementary school students, the program also includes initiatives for other audiences, focused on education and prevention," explains Humberto Alage Júnior, º£½ÇÉçÇø's Asset Intelligence collaborator.
The program
Launched in 2023, the Forest Guardians Program has already reached thousands of students in the states of Bahia, EspÃrito Santo, ²Ñ²¹°ù²¹²Ô³óã´Ç, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo. "This project is another ally in the environmental awareness efforts already undertaken by º£½ÇÉçÇø in communities neighboring the company's operations. The surveillance and PCIF (Fire Prevention and Fighting) teams have been engaging directly with communities, providing guidance on environmental preservation and publicizing channels for reporting environmental crimes. Coupled with this, the school initiative aims to build a more conscious generation engaged with environmental causes," emphasizes Arilson Ribeiro de Siqueira, º£½ÇÉçÇø's Asset Intelligence Manager.
The school program targets children from rural schools located in regions with a high history of environmental crimes, such as vegetation fires, illegal hunting, and deforestation, as recorded in the company's database. "The idea is for children to become multipliers and spread the concept of Forest Guardians, which states that we are all guardians and must protect the environment for the common good," Arilson adds.