The Department of Environment and Climate inaugurates the Samba Forest and launches the Green Carnival 2026 campaign.

The Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and Climate (SMAC) inaugurated, this Friday (February 13th), the Bosque do Samba, a new green space implemented in an area of ​​3.700 square meters on Avenida São Francisco Xavier, under the Mangueira viaduct, in the North Zone of Rio. The opening marks the first action of the Bosques Cariocas program and was chosen as the stage for the launch of the Folia Verde 2026 campaign, an initiative that promotes sustainable practices during the Rio Carnival.

Dedicated to promoting popular culture and the memory of samba, the Bosque do Samba (Samba Grove) honors personalities and groups that participated in the previous edition of the Folia Verde (Green Carnival) campaign. In 2025, the initiative resulted in the collection of more than 40 tons of waste during the carnival period. The new space is part of the municipal strategy to expand urban green areas, contributing to the fight against heat islands and the city's adaptation to climate change.

During the inauguration ceremony, children from junior samba schools participated in the symbolic planting of saplings, while representatives from street carnival groups sponsored trees already planted on the site. Among the species included are Brazilwood, Annatto, Yellow Ipê, White Ipê, and Jacaranda, as well as bromeliads and other ornamental species that contribute to the landscape and environmental restoration of the area.

The Secretary of Environment and Climate, Tainá de Paula, highlighted the importance of planting trees throughout the city.

"This helps us have more pleasant and comfortable summers and a more welcoming Rio de Janeiro for the children of the future. Long live the revelry, long live Carnival, and long live a more sustainable Rio de Janeiro," said Tainá de Paula.

The president of the Parks and Gardens Foundation, Ricardo Pinheiro, also attended the inauguration of the Samba Grove.

Green Carnival 2026

The Folia Verde campaign, led by SMAC, reinforces the commitment to transforming Rio's Carnival into a benchmark for sustainability. For the 2026 edition, approximately 450 professionals will be involved, including recyclable material collectors and members of the Guardians of the Forests program, which brings together female community leaders.

The actions will take place in street parades and also in the parades at Marquês de Sapucaí and Estrada Intendente Magalhães, focusing on reducing waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, 12 tons of waste were collected; in 2025, the volume reached 40 tons.

Through a partnership with the Planta+Rio program, the campaign also includes environmental compensation actions associated with Carnival, including the planting of native species of the Atlantic Forest, the recovery of green areas, and awareness initiatives on urban afforestation and nature-based solutions.

Teams from Folia Verde will also be working with revelers on environmental education activities, such as educational quizzes and the distribution of gifts. This year, the initiative involves at least 25 carnival groups, including mega-groups, which receive the Folia Verde Seal.

Carioca Woods

The Bosques Cariocas program aims to expand the city's vegetation cover and combat heat islands through denser forestation with species typical of the Atlantic Forest. The Bosque do Samba is the first project delivered by the initiative and represents the integration of the environmental agenda and cultural appreciation, using urban space as a tool to address the impacts of the climate crisis, especially in more vulnerable areas.