A Day in the Forest

Engaging the next generations in the conservation of the greatest biodiversity on earth

Whether the natural resources of Amazonia will be used in a way as to provide comfort to people and protection to biodiversity, or will continue to be wasted in fires and deforestation, it depends upon the values, knowledge and skills acquired today by our children.

vacionista WHAT IT IS
A Day in the Forest" is a workshop carried out by Cristalino Ecological Foundation (FEC) through its educational programme Escola da Amaznia. It was designed to put young people in direct contact with the Amazon jungle. The workshop runs for one day in a well preserved 50-hectare fragment of the forest, situated in the urban region of Alta Floresta. During the day, students and their school teachers walk in the forest, observing the fauna and flora and carry out activities, which include artistic and team building exercises with the aim of making the forest environment more familiar and fun.

WHY IT WAS CREATED

For most Brazilians in the cities where policy is determined Amazonia is nothing but a distant place, one they have little or no connection with. For those who live on the Amazon agricultural frontier - for the most part migrant farmers with scant knowledge of the forest prejudices about the forest and its uses and indifference have resulted in the worlds highest rates of tropical deforestation. Despite living very close to the Amazonian forest, young residents who live in the city of Alta Floresta and the surrounding areas have little knowledge or contact with this unique environment and the wildlife it supports. Given the precarious situation of public education in Brazil, the alarming rates of habitat degradation on the Amazon frontier, the typically long-lasting effects of educational interventions, and the fact that we are the only organization dedicated primarily to Environmental Education in southern Amazon, support to Escola da Amaznia and its A Day in the Forest workshops will certainly have an impact that far outweighs the cost.

We strongly believe that this approach will help bring about far-reaching social and environmental improvements.

HOW IT WORKS

Briefing Solitary walk, no distraction from friends Blind walk, focus on sounds

Discovery The matching leaves game

Fun

.lot of fun Public Commitments Poster, to be exposed at the visiting school

Commitment to Act, signed by participants and their parents

WHO DOES IT

Mariana dos Santos

Local coordinator of Escola da Amaznia, Mariana was a participant in the project herself years ago, as a young student at a local rural public school. She is about to get her college degree in Biology.

Edson Grandisoli
Educational Director of Escola da Amaznia, Edson is a science teacher and nature photographer. He has taught at some of the top high schools in So Paulo and worked as an independent consultant on Education for Sustainability.

Silvio Marchini
Executive Director and CoFounder of Escola da Amaznia, Silvio has a PhD in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Oxford, with focus on Human Dimensions. He won the Whitley Award in the UK.

WHO IT HAS REACHED

HOW YOU CAN HELP

In three years of operation, A Day in the Forest has carried out some 80 workshops and has involved about: 35 undergraduate students in training workshops 50 volunteers 120 teachers from 30 local public schools 1400 children directly Thousands of children indirectly via posters at school and by word of mouth
Your donations provide practical, direct support to the project. Listed below are some of our ongoing needs as we maintain Escola da Amaznia and run A Day in the Forest workshops:

$5 buys the T-shirt for one participant $25 buys pedagogical material for 1 month $75 buys the lunch for 1 workshop $120 pays FECs telephone bill for 2 months $500 pays the coordinators salary for 1 month $2000 covers A Day in the Forest monthly cost $26000 maintains A Day on the Forest for 1 year For further information, contact FECs President Vitoria da Riva. See contact info below.

Tests applied before and after participation revealed that the workshops can effectively increase childrens interest in the forest and respect for it.

Contact: Vitoria da Riva, President, vitoriariva@fundacaocristalino.org.br

Fundao Ecolgica Cristalino (FEC) Avenida Perimetral Oeste, 2001, Alta Floresta, MT 78580-000, Brazil +55 (66) 3521-8513 | www.escoladaamazonia.org