The great achievement was highlighted and widely recognized in the media:

While the forest inventory documented 918 species of trees and shrubs, the floristic surveys added 2,679 species, including herbs, epiphytes, and climbers. Together, these approaches reveal a much more complete picture of plant diversity and demonstrate the importance of integrating different forest data collection methodologies. Furthermore, revisiting plots over the years is essential to continue detecting new species. In the second sampling cycle, 278 species that had not been previously recorded were included, demonstrating that knowledge about biodiversity grows cumulatively when monitoring is maintained continuously, reinforcing the value of long-term programs.

To learn more, access the full article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123204

Professor Daniela Tomio, coordinator of the Santa Catarina Forest Library, was interviewed on the FURB Research Program. In the interview, Professor Daniela highlighted the potential use of this collection in teaching about the forests of Santa Catarina in Basic Education and the possibility of adding a sixth volume to the collection, focusing on the knowledge of the indigenous peoples.

Professor Daniela coordinated a collective with researchers from FURB/FlorestaSC and 17 teachers from public schools in various areas, who produced the Santa Catarina Forest Library collection, launched in June of this year.

The work was even awarded! It won the "Teachers" category of the III Lucia Sevegnani Award for the Democratization of Knowledge, presented at the closing of the 19th Integrated Exhibition of Teaching, Research, Extension and Culture (MIPE), in September.

The month of October was marked by several activities carried out by FlorestaSC with classes from the Environmental Protector Program - PROA Teenagers. PROA is an initiative of the Military Environmental Police focused on the informal education of teenagers aged 12 to 14, aiming at environmental awareness and training for the practice of ecological practices.

The actions were conducted by researchers Adilson Nicoletti, Débora Lingner, Giesta Oliveira and Murilo Schramm, and by Corporal Severo (responsible for the classes).

On October 16th, we received the PROA Pomerode Class (27 students) from EBM Almirante Barroso at the FlorestaSC laboratory, and on October 21st, the PROA Blumenau Class (30 students) from Colégio PM Feliciano Nunes Pires. Practical exercises were conducted on tree measurement, installation of sampling units, and preparation of herbarium specimens, in addition to lectures and demonstrations on the use of drones and other field equipment.

Researcher Laio Oliveira participated in and presented a scientific study at the VII MENSUFLOR Brazilian Meeting on Forest Mensuration. The event took place in Lavras - MG | Federal University of Lavras, between September 24 and 27, 2025.

Mensuflor is a biennial event that brings together researchers and professionals in the areas of dendrometry, inventory and forest management, among other specialties related to obtaining and analyzing forest data.

Another successful activity in partnership with the Environmental Military Police of Santa Catarina! On September 3, 2025, we were in Lages for a lecture on the actions, results, and databases of the project. The applications developed by FlorestaSC for the PMA-SC were also discussed. The lecture, given by researchers Adilson Nicoletti and Débora Lingner, was part of the program of the Specialization Course in Environmental Policing (CEPA) at the PMA.

Guilherme Gritzz, a doctoral student at the University of São Paulo, and his co-authors published a study in the journal Oryx assessing the extinction risk of more than 500 tree species in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The article was titled "Assessing the extinction risk of tree species in the subtropical Atlantic Forest using multiple IUCN criteria."

Using the IUCN Red List criteria, they found that 98% of the species assessed are threatened, many with population declines exceeding 50% in recent generations. This regional assessment highlights the urgent need for updated conservation policies and localized conservation efforts.

The Atlantic Forest is a biodiversity hotspot, but only a quarter of its original coverage remains. Guilherme's work offers a crucial roadmap for the protection of the remaining trees.

To learn more, access the full article:  https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605324001534

The following works (posters) were presented:

• The contribution of subsequent identifications to the knowledge of the flora: analysis of the FlorestaSC program. (André de Gasper);

• FURB Herbarium DNA Bank: A Valuable Resource for Molecular Studies of the Flora of Santa Catarina (Gabriel Yan);

• Ecological Strategies of the Tree Community of the Mixed Ombrophilous Forest of Santa Catarina (Gabriel Yan);

The event also included an awards ceremony for the most outstanding works. Researcher Gabriel Yan was awarded in the Master's category, and botanist Anderson Kassner Filho won 1st place in the Photography Contest.

In addition to the scheduled academic activities, contacts were also established with other researchers in the field, which enabled the exchange of experiences, the discussion of potential collaborations, and the strengthening of the research network in Botany, especially on topics related to the flora of the Atlantic Forest and conservation.

We congratulate the researchers from FlorestaSC and the FURB Herbarium for their dedication to their studies and for the awards they won at CNBot!

FlorestaSC promoted several actions that were part of the Green June calendar in Blumenau, coordinated by the Directorate of Environmental Education and Animal Welfare of Semmas. Green June is a month dedicated to environmental awareness, with actions carried out by public, private and third sector institutions, which aim to sensitize society about the importance of preserving the environment.

Check out FlorestaSC's initiatives in Green June below.

On June 14th (Saturday), the lecture "Forestry Engineering and Education: Connections for Sustainability" was held, promoted by FlorestaSC together with AEFVale (Association of Forestry Engineers of the Itajaí Valley). The lecture took place in the Auditorium of Campus 2 of FURB and was given by FlorestaSC researchers Débora Lingner and Nando Rocha and by the president of AEFVale, Ney Rocha.

The event targeted professionals in the fields of Geosciences, Forestry Engineers, and the general public. The booklets from the Santa Catarina Forest Library and the augmented reality application developed within the FlorestaSC Program were presented. The initiative highlighted how the technical knowledge of forestry engineering, combined with scientific dissemination and the use of innovative technologies, contributes to bringing society closer to forests and strengthening educational practices focused on the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

A great achievement was accomplished by FlorestaSC regarding the scientific dissemination about the forests of Santa Catarina. On the evening of June 13th (Friday), FlorestaSC launched the new Santa Catarina Forest Library collection, funded by CNPq and organized by Professor Daniela Tomio, from the Center for Education, Arts and Letters (CCEAL) of FURB.

The "new" members join the team led by Adilson Nicoletti and Débora V. Lingner, composed of professors Jonathan G. Müller and Artur Bizon, as well as Murilo Schramm da Silva, Marlon Yuri Andrade, and Thuane Laís Farias. Mapping the regenerating areas will complete the monitoring of changes in forest cover in Santa Catarina, which also includes the stage of detecting deforested areas between 2017 and 2022, to be completed in the next semester.

FlorestaSC is a permanent research program on the forests of Santa Catarina, funded by the state government (SEMAE and Fapesc).

The photos below are from the 1st campaign, which took place between March 3rd and 14th in western Santa Catarina. Be sure to follow our Instagram stories to see more photos from the fieldwork.

Between February 5th and 7th, 2025, an exploratory visit took place at the René Frey Forest Ecological Park (Fraiburgo/SC) to investigate the park's potential as a tool for forest education. Researchers Prof. Alexandre Vibrans, Prof. Maurício Capobianco, Nando Rocha, and Débora Lingnera participated in the activity, along with scholarship recipient [name missing].