Environmental education for the conservation of shorebirds – case study at Ramsar Lund Warming Site, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

This article deals with a case study related to the activities carried out within the scope of the Asas do Karste Network Project, which was implemented in conservation units such as the Karst Environmental Protection Area of Lagoa Santa, in the Sumidouro State Park and in the Natural Monument Várzea da Lapa, members of the current Ramsar Lund Warming Site in the State of Minas Gerais. The multidisciplinary educational project covered activities related to birdlife in several lakes in that territory. It was proposed and
discussed in a participatory manner in local councils, and was later prepared and implemented by a multisectoral team that involved and mobilized various social
actors. The project favored the exchange and expansion of knowledge and social participation, with regard to the identification and protection of avifauna and other
fauna species associated with monitored lagoons, as well as an understanding of the ecosystem services provided by them. It was concluded that the educational
actions developed in the territory of the Ramsar Lund Warming Site contributed to greater synergy between local actors in the search for the conservation and
protection of shorebirds and their habitat. In addition, it is understood that the project can be a model for the development of environmental education and participatory monitoring in other wetlands and areas of importance for migratory shorebirds.