Posted by Ted Feldpausch
23 March 2023A project in partnership between the University of Exeter and UFAC-Brazil held the 2nd Workshop: Exchange of Knowledge and Teaching on Burning in the Amazon, taught by biologist Yara Araújo Pereira de Paula, Master in Ecology from UFAC. The event had students as its target audience and ran from Monday, 20th to Saturday, the 25th, in the room at the Center for Biological and Nature Sciences, on the main campus.
The workshop addresses the theme of wildfires, forest fires and their consequences, in the context of education for disaster risk reduction. “Being able to motivate, engage and exchange knowledge with young scientists, as well as seek out dreamers, young activists, to fight for socio-environmental causes is gratifying”, said Yara. “Mobilizing Amazonian women and strengthening voices in their protagonism and place of speech, in fact, has been an additional motivator for me, because I also belong to this territory.”
The event is organized by Professor Simone Matias de Almeida Reis and students from the Biological Sciences course at UFAC. She explained that the workshop is based on the book “Activity Guide for Environmental Education: É Fogo!”, by Yara Araújo Pereira de Paula, the course teacher.
“Yara is presenting the students with the scenario of fire for the Amazon biome, through her book, alternating between theory and practice, discussing scientific methodologies adapted to the school context”, said Simone. “The theme of fire risks and threats is always closely associated with Biology, Ecology and Geography disciplines and what Yara is bringing in this book and event are methodologies to address this theme in the school curriculum, in a multidisciplinary way.”
The workshop is carried out by the project “Developing Local Capacity to Teach About Risks and Impacts of Forest Fires and Alternative Land Use in the Amazon, Brazil”, financed by the organization Newton, from the UK. The project has a partnership with UFAC, University of Exeter (UK), coordinated by Dr Ted Feldpausch, State University of Mato Grosso, National Center for Monitoring and Natural Disaster Alerts, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Pantanal Network Project and MAP-Fire Project.
https://www.ufac.br/site/noticias/2023/workshop-na-ufac-trata-de-ensino-sobre-queimadas-na-amazonia