Residential Trips
In spite of Field Studies being relatively new in Brazil it has its own style. Unlike in the UK, where there are many centres spread all around and the schools normally arrive after a short bus ride to then get to know the staff they are going to work with, we (Brazilians) meet the groups at the moment journey starts. We travel together and upon arriving at our destination, since there are no permanent centres in the country, we set up our own Field Studies Centre at the local lodging facilities. Sometimes groups can amount to up to 100 pupils, which requires remarkable organisation skills, and the professionals involved perform both as tour leaders and field teachers. Local guides who were born in the local communities are always part of the team, which enhances our knowledge of local traditions and improves safety.
Planning, organisation, discipline, risk assessment, friendliness, responsibility, knowledge, professionalism and experience are all part in the repertoir of actions we take to ensure everyone learns, enjoys and comes back safe and sound.
Main destinations are:
Ilha do Cardoso (Cardoso Island)
A State Park four hours away from São Paulo which is one of the best spots for field studies in the whole of Brazil. Apart from its overwhelming beauty it has 6 different environments a few minutes’ walk from from each other comprising what is called the Coastal Ecossistems. Rocky Shore, Sandy Shore, Dunes, Restinga, Atlantic Rain Forest (Mata Atlântica) and Mangrove. Local guides tell us plenty of information about medicinal plants, fishing techniques, local life and the mood of the weather. Ilha do Cardoso might be specially valuable for IB field work since students can choose from a variety of variables to outline their own assignments.
Petar – Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira – (“Turistic State Park of High Ribeira”)
Six hours away from São Paulo, it lies within the biggest continuous strech of Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Rain Forest), which has one of the greatest biodivirsities on the planet, and whose territory only 7% remains. What makes Petar stand out is its geological formation which accounts for big stretches of limestone and a mix of tropical climate, mountains, lots of rain and exuberant forest resulting in the formation of over 300 caves, some of which ranked high among the greatest caves in the world. Nearby there is a Quilombo, an ancient village which was founded and ‘developed’ by black slaves who escaped from their masters back in the slavery days, which today is an example of social organization, sustainability and strugle for Quilombos’ rights.
Pantanal – the Brazilian wetlands
Located in the very centre of South America it is an ecosystem greatly influenced by its neighboring ecosystems – Mata Atlântica, Amazon and Cerrado (the Brazilian Savana) – and since it is a huge flooding and draining plain where there are not many trees and bushes it is the best place in Brazil to observe wild animals such as birds, caymans, otters, anteaters and if you are lucky even anacondas and jaguars. Hiking, horseback riding, boat sailing, piranha fishing, camping and night walks are part of the program in what is unanimously one of the most unforgettable Brazilian destinations.
The Amazon
Huge, imposing, powerful, mysterious. These are words which immediately spring to mind as one recalls being there. Heat and a huge hydrographical basin are the greatest factors which make the Amazon – with its very tall trees, heavy rain, longest, widest and most voluminous river in the world – the ecosystem with the greatest biodiversity on Earth. Hiking and sleeping in the jungle to learn survival techniques, sailing up and down the Amazon river to visit local communities, cayman spotting at night, staying at a jungle lodge where monkeys and macaws might come steal your breakfast can all be part of this amazing amazon experience.
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