Work with environmental education in the Pontal do Paranapanema began in the 1980s, when IPÊ founders Claudio and Suzana Padua started a program for the conservation of the black - lion tamarin based on research, education and community involvement.

IPÊ's approach to environmental education has always been fundamentally linked to conservation science, initially based on studies conducted with the black-lion tamarin. Thus IPÊ's environmental educators have played a key role in making the o rganization's scientific output accessible to the general public.

In the Pontal do Paranapanema, environmental education began addressing students and teachers from the town of Teodoro Sampaio and communities surrounding the Morro do Diabo State Park . Soon it became clear that there was a need to reach all community members and more recently also large property owners and local elected officials. Through participatory forums intitled Eco-Negotiations, all segments of society have a chance to discuss problems, potentials and opportunities to change what they consider to be inadequate. Rural and urban students as well as different social groups have been able to participate and develop projects that have social and environmental concerns, always with conservation as a baseline. More than 10,000 persons participate annually in environmental education activities sponsored by IPÊ.