Environmental education on wheels: The traveling exhibition of the Rio Islands Project

Abstract

The Rio Islands Project is a socio-environmental initiative that began its actions in 2011 at the Natural Monument of the Cagarras Islands Archipelago (MONA Cagarras), in the first federal marine conservation unit (UC) of integral protection of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Since then, technical-scientific research activities have been carried out in the local ecosystem, as well as environmental education and scientific dissemination actions aimed at sensitizing children, young people, and adults from various segments of society about MONA Cagarras and the Rio Islands Project. Aiming to foster conscious and sustainable tourism initiatives and the involvement of society for the knowledge of the current regulations related to the conservation unit, itinerant exhibitions were held that facilitate the access of various audiences to the conservationist theme. The present work evidences the results of these itinerant exhibitions in two phases of the Rio Islands Project, under the sponsorship of the Petrobras Socio-Environmental Program: these being, phase 2 (2014 and 2015) and phase 3 (2018 and 2019); carried out in an adapted vehicle equipped with a monitor for the display of audiovisual material, photographic exhibition, exhibition of the didactic-scientific collection of the Teaching Assistance Section (SAE) of the National Museum-UFRJ, diving mannequin equipped for underwater activities, stereoscopic microscope, didactic panels, communication resources such as books, folders, booklet, as well as children's space for recreational activities. The adapted truck reached different locations in the city of Rio de Janeiro and was carried out in different public spaces (municipal parks, public square, Copacabana Beach), museums, universities, technical schools, public and private schools. Depending on the location of the exhibition, different audiences were evidenced, and the attendance list records inform about 7,089 participants who knew the actions of the River Islands Project in the Natural Monument of the Cagarras Islands over the four years of carrying out the activity.