Last Sunday Oct 11th, the Carbon Neutral Tourism Program received 20 students from FAMEC- Camaçari  Metropolitan College  ( located in Camaçari Petrochemical Complex near the city of Salvador-Bahia-Brazil ). Professor Pericles Alves de Lima Junior and his students of the Environmental Engineering Course visited the properties of two traditional small-scale farmers who take part in the program: the families of “Edivaldo and Jocélia” and of “Domingos and Gicelia”.

 

The focus of the students was the Recovery of Degraded Areas. Professor Pericles heard of the work developed and implemented by the Patrons for Life Movement in these properties, having tourism as its platform, and decided to bring his students to get to know the construction of this environmental conservation network that became the Carbon Neutral Tourism Program.

 

The visit started under a light and blessed morning drizzle with an initial momentum for exchanging of information among the groups (students, farmers and the Patrons for Life team) followed by a large number of questions by the visitors. Then, everyone left for a field visit that began in an area of primary forest, through a trail of the farmer “Edi” who guided the group and answered questions from visitors about the flora and fauna.

 

After a quick stop for resting, the whole group left for the second part of the field visit: observation of an area which is being reforested  through agroforestry systems (AFS-land management involving the growing of trees in association with food crops or pastures). “Edi” continued leading the group and together with the technical team of Patron for Life answered to questions and gave testimony of his experiences in the field before and after his participation in the Carbon Neutral Tourism Program.

 

Another stop for lunch followed by a moment that is always very special : delivery of the Bolsa Conservação (the monthly payment for conservation services) that this time was attended by the visitors who also helped to handle the payment to the farmers.

 

In the last part of the field visit, the whole group went to the property of “Domingos” who also led the group and answered to questions. Visitors could see his seedling nursery and ornamental plants, his forest restoration areas and the techniques employed in the manufacture of biofertilizer and organic compos.

Thanks FAMEC students  ! Thanks for coming !

 

“Those who love life prefer the task of saving.
Those who love the land prefer the task of dreaming”
(Joyce e Fernando Brant).

 

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