Zeneida Lima acquires Environmental Protection Quota and strengthens alliance in defense of the forest
At 90 years old, the Marajoara obtained the first Quota in the Non-Compensatory modality, an unprecedented initiative in Pará, and the title "Friend of the Forest"
The Institute for Forest Development and Biodiversity of Pará (Ideflor-Bio) received a symbolic visit filled with emotion and meaning. The Marajoara shaman Zeneida Lima, at 90 years old, was the first citizen to acquire an Environmental Protection Quota (CPA) in the Non-Compensatory modality — an unprecedented initiative in Pará — and received the certificate of "Friend of the Forest".
The CPA is an environmental policy created by the Government of Pará through decree No. 4,613, aimed at strengthening state Conservation Units. Individuals or legal entities from anywhere in Brazil can acquire CPAs to directly support the preservation of the living forest. In Zeneida's case, the gesture was voluntary and symbolic: she acquired a quota worth R$ 60.00 to contribute to the maintenance of the Utinga State Park, one of the most emblematic green areas in Belém.
During the certificate delivery ceremony on June 5, World Environment Day, Zeneida, represented by her son Rubens Amorim, received the certificate of "Friend of the Forest." The president of Ideflor-Bio, Nilson Pinto, expressed gratitude and emotion for the shaman's choice. "Zeneida honored us with the happiness of being the buyer of the first CPA to help the Utinga State Park. I hope this gesture of love for nature serves as an example for all," he stated.
Zeneida Lima is the founder of the Caruanas Institute of Marajó, based in Soure, and a national reference in the fight for the appreciation of Marajoara culture and environmental defense. She celebrated the achievement with poetry and spirituality.
On Friday (13), Zeneida went to the Ideflor-Bio building in Belém. "What a gift! A beautiful present from the Creator and nature. I am very happy, like a little bird celebrating the arrival of spring and joyfully singing its morning song. Nature is the great mother, the origin and the end of all things. We cannot violate it because we would be violating ourselves," emphasized the shaman, highlighting the importance of unity between traditional peoples and public power in environmental preservation.
Categories - CPAs are classified into two types: Compensatory and Non-Compensatory. The former are intended for environmental regularization of legal reserve liabilities in rural properties consolidated until July 22, 2008; while the Non-Compensatory ones, like the one acquired by Zeneida, are aimed at voluntary contributions, without ties to legal requirements, but with enormous symbolic and ecological value. Each quota represents one hectare — about the size of a soccer field — and the funds raised are invested in concrete preservation actions.
The purchase of CPAs is simple and fully computerized, made through the official Ideflor-Bio website (cpa.ideflorbio.pa.gov.br). After filling in the data and making the payment, the purchaser receives a digital certificate. In the case of Compensatory quotas, there is also a need to join the Environmental Regularization Program with the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability (Semas). Non-Compensatory ones, like Zeneida's, are valid for one year and can be renewed.
Satisfaction - Rubens Amorim, Zeneida Lima's son, during his visit to Belém on Friday, reported that she sang traditional songs of her own authorship and talked extensively with Nilson Pinto, with whom she has maintained ties of friendship and collaboration for decades. "This meeting strengthens the alliance between institutions and inspires us to continue the daily struggle for the preservation of the planet," he highlighted.
Rubens is the current Secretary of the Environment of Soure and accompanies and represents his mother in environmental causes. Zeneida also reaffirmed her faith in the forces of nature and the shared responsibility for environmental preservation.
"Long live the forces of Nature and the value of the men and women who seek to change the world. May they be guided by the Creator and walk the good path," she said. With her ancestral wisdom, the Marajoara shaman reaffirms that caring for the environment is a spiritual and ethical duty.
The head of Ideflor-Bio, Nilson Pinto, also emphasizes that with the acquisition of the first non-compensatory CPA, Zeneida Lima becomes a landmark in Pará's environmental policy. "Her gesture carries profound symbolism and demonstrates that the conservation of nature begins with small conscious actions. Ideflor-Bio hopes that this action inspires other citizens and institutions to follow the same path, promoting a culture of voluntary, citizen, and solidarity-based environmental protection," concluded the president.
