2012
Ângela Pelin
Researcher at the Institute of Ecological Research
Attended course: XII Course of Management in Protected Areas, Colorado State University
“I develop projects to create and manage protected areas and in recent years have prepared many management plans. The knowledge acquired in this course has allowed me to broaden my understanding of protected area management and to include in my projects the management principles learned during the course, especially those related to public use, monitoring and integration of PAs with society. The lessons were very intense, especially on the topics of management of the public use of PAs, monitoring and management of fauna and flora, training of staff in protected areas, the importance of bringing society closer to protected areas, either through visitation or environmental education, and how public-private partnerships function”.
Credit: Personal archive
Arthur Trauczinsky
Shareholder of Cataratas do Iguaçu S.A.
Attended course: XII Course of Management in Protected Areas, Colorado State University
“The opportunity to learn about various management models, as well as mechanisms for reducing negative impacts, different types of structures, high levels of visitation and quality tourism, all in alignment with conservation strategies, made me realize that, if we can bring the public sector, the private sector, and society into alignment, yes it is possible to open our PAs for visitation, to preserve nature and transform the culture, bringing society much closer to the environment. Tourism is not the enemy. There are many players and models of public-private partnerships that we can incorporate into the sustainable development process of a PA. With good planning and interest, it is possible to find solutions for infrastructure, tourism programs, the welfare of surrounding communities, and expanding the number of visitors, increasing the protection of this natural heritage and contributing to the financial sustainability of the region and the country”.
Credit: Personal archive
João Emílio
Cunhambebe State Park Manager
Attended course: XII Course of Management in Protected Areas, Colorado State University
“An important fact I learned during the course was that some countries in Latin America, like Chile, Argentina, and Costa Rica, have nature conservation systems that are efficient and well structured. Yet, just like Brazil, the majority of Latin countries still have a long way to go. The fragility of the environmental agencies in their public administration, the lack of continuity in the PA management programs and standardized management planning, along with other factors, keep the parks closed to the public, susceptible to pressures of their buffer zones and to uses quite often incompatible with their conservation purposes. I’d like to note that the material obtained during the course about the ROVAP System (Recreation Opportunity Spectrum in Protected Areas) assisted the Rio de Janeiro State Environmental Institute (INEA-RJ) in developing and conducting a project to bolster public use of state parks”.
