Photo: Reginaldo Ferreira ©
School of Conservation of Nature
In light of the consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation damage, initiatives are increasingly seeking to reinforce how protected natural areas are sources of social and economic benefits. Within this context, the School of Nature Conservation aims to raise awareness, inform, and equip students about the importance of biodiversity for quality of life on the planet and the generation of jobs and income through immersions in conservation units.
Accompanying researchers in the field, hiking, observing the landscape, participating in workshops, lectures, and debates in free after-school classes, the initiative emphasizes the relevance of Nature Production and the restorative economy, encouraging knowledge, research, practice, and actions that generate opportunities for personal and territorial development through the conservation of nature and local culture.
Photo: Reginaldo Ferreira ©
About the Project
Created in 2017, the School of Nature Conservation is an itinerant project first implemented in the municipality of Antonina (PR), with residents around the Guaricica and Ăguas Natural Reserves. Later, young residents in Guaraqueçaba (PR) and around the Salto Morato Reserve also had the opportunity to participate in the project twice.
Creating a network of actors truly involving the community to think and build solutions together with universities, NGOs, city halls, entrepreneurs, and managers of Conservation Units through participatory methodologies is one of the goals of the School of Nature Conservation, reconnecting people to natural spaces, encouraging belonging, fostering public policies and socio-environmental impact businesses.
Why support the initiative?
For caiçara families and other traditional or non-traditional communities, one of the greatest challenges is the separation when young people leave in search of opportunities. The lack of after-school activities and knowledge about the importance of nature conservation are also serious problems with various social and environmental consequences.
Showing teenagers and young people living near preserved areas the possibilities for professional and personal development through environmental conservation is the main benefit of the Project. With the School, there is an effort to ensure the future within their own localities, without the need for people to move to a big city due to lack of opportunities.
Photo: Reginaldo Ferreira ©
Who can support?
The Public Authority can also gain numerous benefits by supporting the School’s actions, whether through building closer dialogue with the population, increasing qualified labor in the involved areas, or applying the knowledge acquired by students and alumni, as they are equipped to identify opportunities, viewing nature conservation and cultural heritage as development assets.
Beyond changing perspectives and local human development, funders and supporters can also project real communication strategies, producing various materialsâfrom brochures to filmsâand using results for social and environmental responsibility reports, for example. The names of partners will also be linked to the visibility actions of this initiative. All this represents a competitive and decisive advantage for the organization involved.
Are you interested in participating in the Project? Contact us to ask questions and evaluate how to start partnership proposals.
Photo: Reginaldo Ferreira ©
Project Results
The School of Nature Conservation has already trained three classes in the municipalities of Antonina and Guaraqueçaba, with about 120 young people, aged 15 to 24, trained to recognize business opportunities through Nature Production. Among them, some chose to pursue an academic career in the environmental field and now work in the regions where they grew up and even in the Natural Reserves maintained by SPVS. Some also developed new business opportunities by valuing the local natural heritage or sought to create itineraries for visitors to discover the historical, cultural, and natural riches of the region where they live.
Another important benefit was the creation of a document within the Nature Conservation Laboratory (LaCon), suggesting local development proposals that respect and value the region’s biodiversity. Called “Suggestions for Sustainable Territorial Development and Safeguarding Caiçara Culture,” the document was presented to the city halls of Antonina and Guaraqueçaba and to representatives of public, private, research, and third-sector institutions that work directly with the environmental agenda in the Great Atlantic Forest Reserve.
The Project’s results were also presented at the largest event on protected areas in Latin America: the Conservation Units Congress (CBUC). The initiative’s methodology was documented in a chapter titled “School of nature conservation: an experience in education for the sustainable development of the northern coast of the state of ParanĂĄ, Brazil,” published by Springer Journal in 2019. The experience was also shared in the form of an expanded abstract in the official publication of the 10th International Conference on Environmental Education and Sustainability.
Photo: Reginaldo Ferreira ©
School of Nature Conservation in the Field
Photo: Reginaldo Ferreira ©
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