Educação ambiental na trilha ecológica do estuário do rio Pacoti: a percepção de estudantes do nível superior diante do contato com o manguezal

Abstract

This work was developed with the objective of identify the undergraduate students' perception regarding seasonal semideciduous coastal forest and mangrove, considering the activities carried out by the Extension Project "Ecological Trail of the Pacoti River Estuary" of the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University Federal of Ceará. The perception of project visitors about these ecosystems was analyzed through a structured questionnaire after the monitors guided trail, in order to evaluate themes such as environmental impacts, the importance of conservation and the way people think and evaluate their relation to nature, especially seasonal semideciduous coastal forest and mangroves. Along the trail, the monitors promoted debates on the importance of conservation and explained the characteristics of ecosystems, highlighting the differences in habitats and the main environmental characteristics that influenced local biodiversity. Also highlighted were the environmental impacts on the course caused by different human actions in the area. The visitors informed that what was most interesting in seasonal semideciduous coastal was the flora, and in the mangroves the fauna: they demonstrated the importance of conserving the environment and evaluated the visit positively. In this way, it was evidenced that the trail is a great tool to make the public know and have a greater contact in an environment of ecosystem transition, arousing a greater interest and critical sense of the visitors regarding the environmental issues.