10/13/04 - Neiva Guedes
|
HEAVEN ON EARTH AVIAN ACRES by Cherane Pefley | home
Neiva Guedes
Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes is biologist, coordinator of the Project Ploughs Blue, teacher and researcher of the Mestrado in Environment and Supported Development of the UNIDERP - University for the Development of the State and Region of the Pantanal.
1 - How appeared the Project Ploughs Blue? Which are its action and goals?
The Project ploughs Blue appeared of a personal initiative to coming across me with a dry tree and about 30 plough-blue inns. It was November of 1989 and I was making the practical one of field of a course of conservation of the nature, in the Pantanal. The professor said that the species was threatened of extinguishing and if wise person almost does not swim regarding the same one. He said, still, that it could disappear of its natural environment if nothing she was made in the next years. The scene touched me and always I say that it was passion to the first sight with the plough-blue ones, therefore I left that meeting saying that it went to study them and to make some thing so that they did not disappear. That it was very beautiful e other people they needed to see them in its natural environment.
In 1990, I started to make literature survey and to draw a research project. In the occasion I worked with ambient education in the Secretariat of Environment of Mato Grosso of the South I age ornithologist and nor I did not have much experience of field in the pantanal, except some periods of training that had carried through when she was academic. Soon after that, I enrolled myself in the mestrado one and I was approved in the ESALQ/USP. Thus, the study of reproduction of the plough-blue ones mestrado turned object my dissertação of, initiated in 1991. After to conclude the mestrado one in 1993, I continued the Project, exactly without no employment bond. The Project Ploughs Blue already had turned a Project life. In 1994 I entered in the CESUP - Center of Superior Education of Campo Grande (currently CESUP) and started to execute the Project through this institution.
The goals of the Project Plough Blue are:
1) the maintenance of a viable population of plough-blue ( Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus ) in the nature to the medium and long run;
2) Conservation of biodiversity. The actions of the Project Plough Blue involve the monitoramento of nests, more intensely in the period of reproduction of the plough-blue ones, that the March of the following year goes of July; handling and recovery of natural and artificial nests; monitoramento of eggs and plough-blue and red younglings of; biometria, collection of biological material and marking of the younglings (with anilha and microship) before flying; monitoramento of the younglings after to leave the nests; lecture for guests (mainly in the R.E.Caiman where we have the main base and Araraúna Inn); attendance in the Center of Visitors of the Project (R.E.Caiman); work of conservacionista education with the farmers and laborers (made informal activity daily while one is working); work of education, rescue of the pantaneira culture and artesanato with children of the R.E.Caiman; visits monitored (of tourist) in the Caiman and Pousada Araraúna.
2 - Which are the biggest conquests of the project so far?
In these 15 years we had some conquests, but we can say that the main ones are:
1) the increase of the population of plough-blue, that it practically tripled in the Pantanal. The estimate in 1987 is of 1.500 individuals in the Pantanal. Today we esteem about 5 a thousand plough-blue ones.
2) It had a significant reduction of the collection of you plough for the traffic. Estimates exist that for the 10 a thousand plough-blue ones they had left the nature until the decade of 80 (with destination to U.S.A., Europe, Japan and domestic market in Brazil). Also in some farms where I started to work in the beginning of the Project, it heard history of the old inhabitants of whom hundreds of you plough had been captured and led (of airplane) even so of the Pantanal. Today, if it did not finish, this traffic diminished very. We work in general with the Ambient Policy and the population. We look for to develop, together to the farmers and laborers, the pride, the privilege to have a rare and pretty species as plough-blue, when other people paid so expensive to have them.
3) the learning of all the techniques that we develop to the long one of these years. When we start we did not have many parameters, methods to follow. Many things we were making and learning. Some times errando, but correcting and making right. Today, these methods serve for the study of other psitacídeos in Brazil and exterior (the Project turned a reference) and mainly for the conservation of others you plough more threatened than the plough-blue ones.
4) Conservation of pantaneira biodiversity. We use the plough-blue one as an instrument for the conservation.
3 - How it is its routine of work?
Today I am more in the coordination of the Project, guiding and training the field team, that is "full teams" in the Pantanal. I, when I am not travelling (Congresses, lectures, spreadings), make reports, analyze given, publish works, write proposals, etc. I travel at least one time for month for field.
Generally in the period of reproduction I go with more frequency and before the younglings flying, I monitor all the nests, collecting material biological, anilhando and placing microship in all the younglings, together with a veterinary medicine.
The field team, that deferred payment in the Pantanal (biologist, assistant of research and trainees) monitoramento of nests, eggs and younglings make (period of reproduction) daily (of second a Saturday). This work can be folloied by guests of the R.E.Caiman or the Araraúna Inn (depending on where it will be the field team). Also they can carry through handling (nests, eggs or younglings, depending on the necessity). The communicator takes care of to the guests who visit the Center of Visitors of the Project Plough Blue, in the Caiman and develops activities of ambient education with the children of the farm.
4 - You believe that the elaboration of lists of threatened species of extinguishing really serves as instrument of protection of the species?
Yes, for some factors. The creation of the list, with species that really can be finishing, suffering some pressure, is important to call the attention on the same one and to promote studies and activities of conservation for the maintenance of the species in its natural habitat. Threatened species can be indicating of with priority areas for conservation.
Some species, as the plough-blue one, for being pretty, attractive, serves of umbrellas or flags for the conservation of another species. At last, I believe that the lists of threatened species give the lines of direction for many studies and the public politics can until prioritizing them, stimulating resources, but I do not believe that science must be restricted only to the lists. But I find that the lists are important and are favorable its elaboration.
5 - The Ibama created, has more than one year, a committee of specialists specifically to deal with the conservation of the plough-blue-great one little. You participate of this committee? E what effectively it already carried through?
Yes, I participate of the Committee for conservation of the plough-blue ones I have many years. In the reality the Committee is not recent. It exists has some years, however, previously was an only committee for Conservation of the Plough-blue-great one and Plough-blue-of-lear, which was separate in two Committees. Despite the two species being of the same sort: Anodorhynchus and to have some similar topics, had a different gamma of problems, activities and/or actions, to be boarded in the annual meetings of the Committee. Therefore, it was opted to the separation of the Committee, so that they were more strategical, prompt and efficient.
Inside of the Committee the subjects referring to the species are boarded all, in the nature and captivity. All the members have chance of if bringing up to date on the research and other activities that are happening. Of the Committee they break the new lines of direction for what it will have to be carried through in research level, legislation, protection, etc.
But to exemplificar, one of the activities of the Committee, I cite the "Plan of Action for Handling and Conservation of the Plough-blue-great one", that he is one of documents most complete and important of a threatened species and already is in final phase of elaboration. One has left of the members of the Committee if it congregated here in the end of Março/2004 in the Pantanal, for the elaboration of this document. Now it is being concluded and will be argued and approved for Committee and later IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and of the Natural resources You renewed. Later it e will be published, thus, waits that all the actions proposals for the conservation of the species are implemented.
6 - Which its opinion in relation to the actions of the government (in all its spheres), in the combat to the traffic of wild animals? What it could be improved or be complemented in these actions?
With relation to the traffic of wild animals, I find that the actions of the government are not very efficient, therefore we have sets of ten of species being removed of the nature and disappearing quickly. Currently the legislation is not efficient and necessary to be changed urgently, therefore a dealer I catch with a rare species, can pay a bail (many times irrisória, in relation to the price of international market of that species) and leave freely. Then, I find that the necessary legislation to be moved, therefore cases exist where it needs to be more rigid and the dealer has that to have its confiscated goods, to be restrained, to answer process, etc.
Also a prompter performance in top of the great dealers is necessary, therefore in many places, almost all know who are the catching ones, the dealers, but nothing it is made to decide the situation. E finally, we have great problem social that it includes lack of food, work, education and housing, that is difficult to speak in conservation of an animal species, when does not have what to give for the population human being. However, I think that the animals have a natural control of natality, that is the proper one offers of food, habitat, etc, while that the population the human being, mainly most devoid, does not have this limit. There, it is a circle that seems not to have end. But I believe the education very, under all the aspects, deed of division, ambient and conservacionista.
|