segunda-feira, 13 de agosto de 2007

Pantanal´s Calling

Interview


  • Chat on the farm
    Mr. Amadeu Barbosa Ferreira (picture), 48, from Campo Grande, MS, invited me to his beautiful farm in São José, in the city of Rochedo, 68km from the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul. There, besides horseback riding, fishing and stories from the farm, he talked about serious issues, such as Pantanal´s preservation, cientific turism projects, organic ox. among others.

    Organic ox.

    This type of ox ranch has been utilized for about six years, according to Amadeu, by the Eldorado farm, in Mato Grosso do Sul.
    To be classified as organic, the ox, has to fit in some specific patterns estabilished by Embrapa and the farm must be involved in some type of social work, in order to receive the autorization. The organic ox eats the same the same type of pasture the other do, but it stays in a different field.

    The difference is in how to combat diseases. This ox will be vaccinated only once and after that its treated only by natural medicine, followed by a ambientalist, a veterinary and supervised by the Agricultue Ministry.

    Organic meat is definetly a healthier alternative than the regular one. However, due to its expensive cost it has been used only for exportation, since, according to Amadeu, the investment is not worth it. He said it was already sold by Carrefour (brazilian supermarket) but it´s rare to find it in any market or butchery.

    Cientific Tourism

    Different than the traditional ecotourism, where the tourist interacts with nature causing the least impact possible, the cientific tourism, so far less famous, offers the tourist a possibility to be also a volunteer in researches that aim to protect nature and ecossystems.
    I spoke to amadeu about this kind of tourism, wich he hás been corrperating with, by taking tourists to Pantanal where they volunteer in cientific projects. His partner on that is with the Earthwatch Institute, which proportionate this type of excursions around the world.

    On the first page of the Institutes´ web site, is the question: “Where do you want to go to make a difference?” That´s the idea of cientific tourism. This last june, an expedition took volunteers to Pantanal and Amadeu went with them until the Uniderp, base don Ararauna Farm. The group of eight volunteers studied the reptile species from the region.

    Anyone can volunteer, even not having any experience. The volunteer actively participates in every part of the project, from lab work to field research. The concern about biodiversity is what motivates the volunteers, says amadeu. He also flies the participants to Pantanal giving them a nice view of the most famous brazilian swamp.He comments that the region is still well preserved due to the own pantaneiro´s (how are called people who are born in Panatanl) concerns and to the difficult access.

    But Pantanal is not the only place in Brazil where the expeditions go to. There are 16 expeditions coming to South América in 2007, one of them to Amazônia. The brasilians also go to other countries to volunteer, wich promotes a better undestanding of other countries realities and culture. The tourist-volunteer pays the flight ticket and the program, but gets the accomodation and daily meals, and most important of all: helps to make a better world.
  • http://www.eartwatch.org/


  • Pantanal´s crocodile. One of the species studied by the volunteers.

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