Conhecendo a Mata Atlântica na Serra do Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais: a educação ambiental como estratégia de conservação do meio ambiente

Abstract

The Vila de Conceição do Ibitipoca, Lima Duarte district, Minas Gerais, is located at the base of the Serra do Ibitipoca, characterized by the heterogeneity of landscapes and the fragility of its natural environment. The Atlantic Forest in the region presents itself as a complex of forest, shrub, savanna and highland grassland, which includes endemic and endangered species. Both the biotic environment, the culture and the livelihoods of the population are threatened due to the different uses of the soil related to tourism. In addition, the lack of environmental information directed to the community of residents and visitors of the region, the anthropic pressures that undermine conservation are the main problems encountered. Thus, the research aimed to develop and create playful activities of environmental education in a dynamic way with the students of the Escola Municipal Padre Carlos, the only local school, to bring them closer to their realities through scientific knowledge about natural attributes and problems environmental impacts. The activities were divided into stages and addressed issues related to the conservation of biological wealth, water resources and problems associated with consumption and waste through games, lectures, videos and talk wheels. The proposals of the activities had an interdisciplinary character and were directed to the region under study, aiming at a transformation of the relations between society and nature. An environmental journal was also made covering the related topics as a way to synthesize the activities of environmental education carried out in the period of one year. In order to analyze the effectiveness of the study, qualitative and quantitative questionnaires were used before and after the development of the activities, aiming to evaluate the students' perception about the Serra do Ibitipoca and comparing the answers. An initial interaction of the relationship between man and the environment, the perception of some local environmental problems, the recognition of the importance of the conservation of the Atlantic Forest, as well as the citation of the greater knowledge of species of the fauna and flora of the region and their interactions with man. It was found, after a subsequent reevaluation, that the strategies developed and used in this study were positive, due to the transformations of students' vision and knowledge about the environment after the activities were carried out. These have developed a critical awareness and a sense of belonging to the environment in which they live.