Founded by the couple Carlos and Elisabeth Soares, the Nascentes do Iguaçu Ornithological Observatory was idealized with the principle of fulfilling the purposes of protection and conservation of a primitive area of the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica), of its rich biodiversity, and the water source. To make the long-term maintenance feasible, the owners of this RPPN established other purposes. The first one is represented by the search for partnerships with academic and scientific research institutions, mainly involving local fauna and flora investigation. The second is with private sector companies interested in obtaining environmental certification.

The Observatory is part of a group of more than 110 protected areas that form the Atlantic Forest Great Reserve, a multi-institutional effort for the conservation of the largest remaining block of the biome. In line with this effort, the area of the Ornithological Observatory serves as a buffer and maintenance zone for the montane and high montane ecosystems at the western limit of the Great Reserve, at the Serra do Mar mountain range. To illustrate some aspects of the relevance of its biodiversity, 458 species of birds have been identified in its 13 hectares area.

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Complementing the purposes of biodiversity conservation, another reason for the existence of the Nascentes do Iguaçu Ornithological Observatory is in its name, as “nascentes do Iguaçu” means in local language “Iguassu River springs”. The Ornithological Observatory area holds the springs of the Iraizinho river, which flows into the Iraí river. Both rivers are part of the Upper Iguassu River watershed. The Iguassu river, after running for 1,300 kilometers from east to west in the state of Paraná, forms one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature“: the Iguassu Falls, on the border between Brazil and Argentina.