Since Elano Ferraz was born, he always loved animals and subjects related to the environment very much, but until then he had never made anything to help in the preservation and protection of them. Elano grew up, and when he was 13 he started to practice a sport called “trekking” – walks into the wild with family and some friends.

When he completed his 14 years old, Elano Ferraz already watched documentaries about the environment and wild life, and he always studied a lot about them. Then, the starting from documentaries and environmental campaigns accomplished by the school in that he studied, Elano was more conscientized and he realized that he had the obligation of to help in the environmental preservation.

Then, he started to take some wild animals to schools to supply some lectures about them for children, and always trying to relate those animals to the preservation of their habitat.

Elano in C.R (Coronel Robertinho) school

Elano supplied around of 30 lectures for children with wild animals, but he still was not satisfied. Then, he started to plant trees with his parents, brother, sister and some friends. The trees were and they’re still donated to him by the his city’s government. He planted trees in the margins of famous and importants Brazilian rivers, as São Francisco River, for example, with the purpose of reducing the damage caused by the destruction of the ciliary forests.

Elano, his brother and his father

He was planting trees and supplying lectures for children, but he wasn’t still completely satisfied. So, he decided to supply lectures entirely about environment and environmental preservation. Then, he founded the Peca – Projeto de Educação e Conscientização Ambiental – in English – Project of Environmental Education and Conscientization.

Elano in one of his lectures

Results:

- One year later it was founded, the Peca has planted 1.000 trees, and it distributed 500 trees to the population.-

- Elano has supplied more than 70 lectures in secondaries schools, high schools, events and colleges.

- Peca is being expanded to others countries.

- Peca got many partnerships.

- And the most important : Peca got to conscientize many people – especially teenagers – that it’s in time of we change our actions.