Percepção ambiental de produtores rurais do entorno do Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (MG): subsídios para a educação ambiental

Abstract

Rio Doce State Park (PERD) is a protected area that houses the largest continous remnant of Atlantic Forest in Minas Gerais, and an important system of wetlands, and the PERD has high biological diversity, with several endangered and endemic species. Since the end of 2013, the State Forestry Institute, PERD's management agency, has developed the Water Springs Recovery Project with farmers of Dionísio (MG), one of the municipalities in which the park is within. The importance of conservation of green areas and water springs recovery is related to the maintenance of ecosystem services that provides distinct benefits to human beings. This study aimed to analyze the environmental perception of farmers of Dionísio of ecosystem services provided by the Atlantic Forest biome, represented by PERD, and the practices of water springs recovery. It was carried out an initial diagnosis with field observations and semi-structured interviews that were the basis for the development of environmental education activities. The 42 interviewed farmers listed 36 influences of PERD and Water Springs Recovery Project on their lives and economic activity. Although only nine (25%) of the 36 cited influences are ecosystem services, 44.4% of them are consequences of ecosystem services. Actions, tangible benefits or consequences of the initiatives promoted by people involved with the activities of the park or Water Springs Recovery Project accounted for 30.6% of influences. It was noted some difficulty in recognizing ecosystem services whose benefits are not readily observable (eg.: support services) or those services that do not seem to have a direct impact on farmers lives and their economic activities (eg.: pollination, waste treatment). The proposal "Payment for Ecosystem Services" (PES) is one of the farmers wishes and to discuss it, a workshop was performed, aiming at identifying partners to implement PES. Farmers received some orientations about needed procedures for the adoption of the proposal, aiming at long-term continuity of the Water Springs Recovery Project, concomitantly. However, no advances were made, due to lack of stimuli or difficulties in establishing leadership groups. The environmental education activities carried out did not aim to exhaust the various possibilities of actions that move farmers of Dionísio to get involved in conservation practices in view of the maintenance of biological diversity and ecosystem services.