A educação ambiental na construção de espaços educadores sustentáveis: viabilidade, desafios e gestão em unidade de conservação

Abstract

Brazil has an expressive biodiversity in its territory and, in the last decades, it has assumed a very important role in the international environmental scenario, so much that it is a signatory to several treaties for the conservation of its environmental assets. Thus, one of the measures adopted by the country was the creation of Conservation Units (CU), which are defined by the National System of Nature Conservation Units (NSNCU) as one of the means to safeguard portions of Brazilian ecosystems, but also to enable scientific research, ecological tourism and the development of Environmental Education (EE) activities. The state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) hosts a large number of CU and, among these, the Prosa State Park, which is located in Campo Grande, being a space open to visitors and which has environmental education activities. Considering the importance of environmental education in CU, in order to enable these spaces to become places that educate the population, this paper aims to analyze the EE of the Prosa State Park (PSP) based on the views of its managers, in current policies and institutional pedagogical practices, identifying characteristics that enhance or not this park to become a sustainable educational space. The research is qualitative in nature, in a case study design, with documental analysis, direct observations in the PSP and semi-structured interviews with managers who deal with public policies on EE in the state. The results show that there are important documents and instruments for proposals involving EE in CU of MS, but it is necessary to be discussed, as they were approved without the approval of aspects considered important by MS environmental educators. Still, it is necessary to evaluate the educational practices currently carried out, considering the context of a state focused on a type of agribusiness that has not yet incorporated socio-environmental sustainability. The results also reveal that, when the intention is to turn a CU, a sustainable educational space, it is necessary to implement Critical Environmental Education, such as specific and initial training for park-guards, managers and those directly involved in the EA and CU sectors. Thus, management plans must be in tune with a broader Environmental Education program. Thereby, it is proposed the adoption of the concept of Political Pedagogical Project for Environmental Education for the CU, in line with the management plan of each CU to achieve democratic environmental management, the construction of an educational space and an Environmental Education Criticism. Therefore, the analyzes demonstrate the need to reassess and review the strategies of public policies involving EE in the areas of environmental protection in the state of MS, so that the PSP and other CU of other types can have the essential conditions guaranteed for the creation of sustainable educational spaces.

Keywords: Critical Environmental Education. Conservation Units. Environmental Management.