Children from Flexais Plant Mangrove Seedlings in the Region

Maceió, July 9, 2025 - Children from the Flexais community participated in a series of activities designed to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves and the Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs). The initiative is part of the Environmental Education Program (PEA), which is included in the Flexais Urban Integration and Development Project. Since the program's launch in 2024, eleven activities have already taken place, including visits to the municipal park, group discussions, and hands-on workshops such as Eco-friendly Soap Making and Waste Sorting. Three additional activities are scheduled for later this semester.

The most recent cycle of activities explored the theme "Our Neighbor: Mundaú Lagoon and Its Protective Forest," and brought together 17 students aged 8 to 12. The goal was to help children recognize the value of nature through their own surroundings: the community, the lagoon, local wildlife, and the forest.

In the first meeting, students took part in a group discussion where they learned about the ecological role of mangroves in maintaining environmental balance. They also joined in painting activities and visited a developing conservation area in the community, where they observed local vegetation and environmental features.

On the second day, they visited the seedling nursery of the Aflora Mangue project, which focuses on restoring mangrove areas around the Mundaú Lagoon. There, they learned about the different mangrove species, planted their own seedlings, and participated in a planting session in the mangrove forest. The program also included a conversation with long-time residents, who shared memories of the region before it was populated and highlighted the importance of artisanal fishing in the lives of local families.

At the end of the activities, the children translated their experiences into drawings inspired by the vegetation, animals, and stories shared during the meetings. A small contest selected the best illustrations, which were compiled into a commemorative booklet distributed to the group. Each participant also received a kit including a T-shirt and reusable water bottle from the Aflora Mangue project.

For Iramir Tenório, who joined three of her grandchildren during the meetings, seeing their engagement with the environment was deeply moving. "It was very meaningful to see the kids planting seedlings in the mangroves," said Iramir. "I'm happy to know there are people working to bring it back to life - and that we're part of it."

Flexais Project

The PEA is part of the Education, Sports, Leisure, and Environment pillar of the Flexais Urban Integration and Development Project. The project stems from an agreement signed in October 2022 by the Municipality of Maceió, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Alagoas, the Federal Public Defender's Office, and Braskem. Of the 23 planned initiatives aimed at reversing the region's socioeconomic isolation and fostering the local economy, 16 have already been implemented and the others are currently underway.

Aflora Mangue

The Aflora Mangue project aims to restore a total of 47 hectares of mangrove forest. Approximately 10,000 seedlings have already been planted across 4.5 hectares along the shores of the Mundaú Lagoon, in the Riacho do Silva area and the Bom Parto neighborhood. The implementation of environmental compensation measures is part of the Socio-Environmental Agreement signed in December 2020 between Braskem and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, with participation from the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Alagoas and support from the Municipality of Maceió.

PHOTO CREDIT - Philipe Medeiros/Disclosure/Braskem