REMANSO: PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION THROUGH AWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY RAISING FOR CHILDREN
At the facilities of the Sub-Mayor's Office of Remanso, a community located in the Municipality of Baures in the Department of Beni - near the border with Brazil - an Educational Day was held for 4th, 5th and 6th grade elementary school children on: “OUR NOEL KEMPFF MERCADO NATIONAL PARK: A SOURCE OF LIFE AND BASES FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE JAGUAR”, with the aim of promoting the conservation of the Protected Area and the protection of the jaguar as a key species to maintain the health of the ecosystems.
With the participation of around 40 children and teenagers, it was a dynamic morning where, accompanied by the park rangers of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (PNNKM), awareness was raised about the importance of conserving the Protected Area, its representative and key fauna, with specific reference to the jaguar (Panthera oncaThe park rangers explained to the children about their activities within the National Park, and many expressed interest in becoming rangers when they are old enough.
The jaguar's characteristics, ecological importance, and the threats it faces from habitat loss, hunting, and the trafficking of its parts were explained. At the same time, a call for entries was launched for a short story contest about the jaguar, featuring stories rescued or written by children. The contest was overseen by Bruno Salvatierra Terraza, Director of the Remanso Water Center.
EXCHANGE OF KNOWLEDGE WITH ADULTS
A meeting was also held with local authorities and teachers to explore their perceptions and concerns regarding jaguars. Informational materials were distributed to enhance their knowledge of the species and strengthen their ability to analyze its potential local benefits. The information provided will also help them propose future actions to promote jaguar conservation through education.
On the other hand, since this Municipality is part of the Management Committee because it is in the area of influence of the PNNKM, they were informed about the support for the execution of the meeting of the members, within the framework of promoting the environmental governance of the local actors.
IMPLEMENTERS, ALLIES AND COLLABORATORS IN THE ACTIVITIES
The SAVIA Association, has been promoting the conservation of ecosystems and key species in protected areas, as a Member of the Program Consortium ECCOS and through the Project Operation Jaguar Bolivia of the IUCN Netherlands Committee, carrying out actions with the participation of local actors and authorities, on this occasion with the Sub-Mayor's Office of Remanso, Central Remanso and the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park.
REMANSO: POTENTIAL FOR RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Since the Remanso is located near the Protected Area on the banks of the Iténez, it can be considered a tourist potential, providing visitors with a spectacle of sighting of terrestrial and aquatic fauna characteristic of the region, accompanied by dreamlike landscapes of impressive sunrises and sunsets.
The presence of key species such as dolphins, otters, deer, and jaguars could enhance this attraction, since domestic and international tourists would pay well to observe even the slightest trace of a jaguar, such as footprints, and of course, a direct sighting of the species would greatly enhance the experience. These are some of the attributes that could benefit the region through responsible tourism.
Source: Association for the Conservation and Research of Biodiversity and Sustainable Development – SAVIA