Ecology and Education in Marine Protected Areas: Insights from Brazil and South America - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 348

stimulate collective mobilizations and the evolution of social groups and forms of
culture, or to promote political changes, are essential EE features (Berchez et al.
2007 ).
For Brazilian MPAs, only a few examples of attempts for more integrative work
can be highlighted. One of them is the Reef Check Program which, for over a decade
in the northeast Brazilian Region, in association with the Chico Mendes Institute for
Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), 2 has developed long term monitoring of ben-
thic communities, and also has included an educational component. Following a
Citizen Science approach (Silvertown 2009 ; Osborn et al. 2005 ), local people are
recruited to perform, after due training, periodic assessments on MPAs, using shared
protocol and tables. Besides recruiting labor, the program provides practical com-
prehension and knowledge of the environment, and allows evaluation by the citizens
themselves of environmental health conditions, stimulating the sense of belonging
and thus leading to action and facilitating their action as disseminators of scientifi c
knowledge within their groups of infl uence. Other positive points of the program
include integrating the participation of non-local people, and continuing education.
Outstanding results have been obtained, such as the professionalization of young
collaborators who serve as MPA instructors for undergraduate education. Another
example is the Underwater Trail Project that was begun in 2002 at the Anchieta
Island State Park (Berchez et al. 2005 , 2007 ). It initiated a training program for EE
instructors, who promote the emergence of new well-based educational actions
(Box 23.1 ). Among its distinctive characteristics, one is the association of the proj-
ect actions with continuous education research, evaluating their success and
defi ciencies.
Box 23.1. Underwater Trail Project
The Underwater Trail project is a long-term experiment in marine environ-
mental education developed by the University of São Paulo, beginning in
2002 (Berchez et al. 2005 , 2007 ). Its objectives are to develop, apply, and test
scientifi c research and education actions at the Anchieta Island State Park
(23°S; 45°W - Fig. 23.2 ). This is an unpopulated, state insular protected area,
located near (7 km) the coast. Due to its proximity to the city of São Paulo,
this protected area receives up to 2,000 people a day during the summer peri-
ods. People arrive in boats, and stay confi ned basically along a beach 350 m
long, and a trail with the same extension.
Educational models have been developed to stimulate transformative pro-
cesses in the participants. These models integrate cognitive and emotional
dimensions with skills acquisition. The visits include interpretation, direct
contact with biodiversity, and the use of diving and trekking equipment. The
sequence of activities consider the following 11 steps:
(continued)
2 ICMBio is the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's administrative arm.