Turismo de base comunitária na Área de Proteção Ambiental Guapi-Mirim: uma proposta de guia de campo para a Interpretação Ambiental

Abstract

The mangrove ecosystem is of great ecological importance and is subject to various anthropogenic pressures. The Guapi-mirim Environmental Protection Area (APA) was the first federal conservation unit created to protect mangroves in Brazil, where traditional populations of fishermen and crab collectors live, facing numerous difficulties in terms of professional insertion and economic alternatives. In this context, initiatives aimed at promoting community-based tourism in the APA are being encouraged as an alternative for local employment and income generation, seeking to maintain the gradual recovery of the ecosystem and the participation and inclusion of communities in this protected area. As a way to contribute to tourism, environmental interpretation tools can sensitize the visitor through contact with nature and local culture, leading them to understand the role of protected areas and the social dynamics that permeate the use of these spaces. Therefore, this dissertation aims to prepare a field guide proposal to support the practice of environmental interpretation activities, as well as providing information to visitors on topics related to the local culture and the mangrove ecosystem, thus strengthening the initiatives at APA Guapi-mirim. The research had four stages: 1) themes identification and contents elaboration of the field guide; 2) secondary data survey, analysis and systematization; 3) participation in TBC project activities at APA Guapi-mirim and interlocutors identification; 4) Conducting interviews with managers, drivers and specialists who work directly with tourism in the area and direct observation; As a final result, a roadmap and a content proposal have been developed that can be disseminated through a field guide and / or other communication vehicles used in environmental interpretation activities.