The journey of the Coletivo Ecoresistência in the permanent preservation area of Parque Itajaí 4, with support from the Fundo da Quebrada
The project Eco Resistência na APP do Parque Itajaí 4 was built out of a concrete urgency in the territory: protecting a permanent preservation area located on rua Adriana Altamira Cotomacci, below Praça João Amazonas, in a region marked by the irregular dumping of rubbish and rubble and by the presence of animals that were aggravating the degradation of the spring. With support from the Fundo da Quebrada, the initiative organised cleaning, fencing and community mobilisation actions to recover the space and strengthen its collective use.
Environmental preservation as an act of care for the community
From the application onwards, the project was presented as an action of preservation and sustainability aimed at cleaning the area, removing waste, fencing the spring and creating the conditions to prevent further dumping and protect the space. Among the expected results were an improvement in the flow of water, protection of the spring from animals and waste, and a strengthening of local people’s self-esteem, showing that the proposal was not only about an environmental intervention but also an act of care for the everyday life of the neighbourhood.
Over the course of implementation, this perspective was confirmed. The accountability report records that the actions benefited five surrounding neighbourhoods, with an impact on approximately 50 thousand residents who pass through the region and more than 5 thousand direct residents in the neighbourhood. The technical report on the actions, in turn, indicates 3 thousand people benefited, which shows the territorial reach of the initiative and its relevance beyond the exact site of the spring.
The area of the spring and the fencing work carried out by the Coletivo Ecoresistência in Parque Itajaí 4.
Cleaning of the spring and the fencing work carried out by the Coletivo Ecoresistência in Parque Itajaí 4.
Part of the rubbish removed from the bed of the spring by the Coletivo Ecoresistência in Parque Itajaí 4.
Working parties, fencing and protection of the space
Carrying out the project brought together several fronts. Three community working parties were held, adding up to 24 hours of activity, with fencing, cleaning, operational logistics and the provision of food for volunteers and the community. Installing posts, wire and tensioners, and drilling the ground, were central to making the area safer. Gloves, sprays and plastic bags were also bought for the working parties, alongside the costs of fuel, a builder and an assistant to make the operation possible in the territory.
Results and progress of the initiative
The results achieved show the importance of environmental action anchored in popular participation. The documents record that the space became safer and cleaner, making it easier for residents to move through it and for the area to be used by the community. Another advance recorded is the increase in participation by local people, with young people and children present at the working parties, strengthening the sense of belonging and the bond with the territory.
This point is especially important because the initial proposal already linked environmental recovery to a broader transformation in the community’s relationship with the space. By fencing, cleaning and reorganising the area of the spring, the Coletivo Ecoresistência not only protected an environmental asset but also activated a collective experience of care and shared responsibility for the territory.
Organising and mobilising as a network
The initiative also gained strength through the partnerships built along the way. The support recorded includes the Residents’ Association of Parque Itajaí 3 and 4, local volunteers, traders in the region, PROESP, small farmers, Quebrada em Movimento, Horta Comunitária, MPA Campo Grande, Pé na Estrada and ONG Gabriel. This support involved mobilisation, installation of the fence, cleaning, logistical help and contributions of supplies and food, showing that the project was sustained by a diverse community network.
This collective dimension helps explain why the action reverberated beyond the physical work. Fencing the spring also became a meeting point between residents, organisations and local partners, reinforcing the idea that environmental preservation gains more strength when it becomes a shared cause in the territory.
Sign made by volunteers reading APP Permanent Preservation Area, Cachoeirinha Itajaí spring, Lei Nº 12.651/2012
Giovani crouching with paints around him, painting the sign that lies on the ground, with a brush.
One person signing the attendance list and another holding a flower in their hand
Volunteers gathered with a green landscape in the background, posing for a photo with raised fists, Ana at the edge taking a photo of the scene
Sign made by the children reading: What goes into the spring ends up in us!
Children sitting down doing a painting activity, under a marquee with the NPA flag hanging from it.
Video record of the activity
The audiovisual record of this experience is able to highlight precisely the collective character of the action. The evidence presented by the collective shows cleaning working parties, the participation of residents, young people and children, the installation of the fencing, the removal of waste and mobilisation around the protection of the spring. In a project like this, video helps show that the recovery of the area was not just a one-off piece of work but a community process of environmental care.
Sharing on social media
On social media, the project’s communication also plays an important role in raising awareness and maintaining continuity. The accountability report records the production of informational leaflets and points to the profile @ecoresistencia1 as its channel for publicity. This kind of communication widens the visibility of the action, strengthens the message of preservation and helps keep alive the mobilisation against the irregular dumping of rubbish in the region.
Prospects for the next activities
The possibilities for continuity already appear clearly in the project’s own documents. The collective indicates that maintaining the results depends on continuing the working parties alongside the people who use the site as a route of access, covering nine neighbourhoods, as well as on seeking new partnerships with traders, volunteers and public institutions to sustain monitoring and future preservation actions. This shows that the Fundo da Quebrada was important not only in making an immediate intervention possible, but in consolidating a base of protection and mobilisation that can remain active in the territory.
In the case of the Coletivo Ecoresistência, the support of the Fundo da Quebrada made it possible to turn a situation of environmental degradation into a concrete experience of recovery, care and community engagement. The project shows that preservation actions gain even more power when they combine infrastructure, popular mobilisation and continuous commitment to the territory.
