ITATIAIA NATIONAL PARK / RJ
Located in the municipalities of Itatiaia and Resende in the state of Rio de Janeiro and
Itamonte, Alagoa, and Bocaina de Minas in the state of Minas Gerais, Parque Nacional de
Itatiaia covers an area of 30 thousand hectares. With mountains and cliffs that feature the slopes
and top of Serra da Mantiqueira (range of mountains), the park is situated on the border of
Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
In Tupi language, Itatiaia might mean “crying stone” or “cliff full of tips”.
The Park is crossed by Rio Campo Belo (river) and its waterfalls pass over the Forest
rich in ornamental species. Besides Caxinguelê, a type of squirrel that is the symbol of the park,
the Forest shelters endangered animals such as the jaguar, suçuarana, lobo-guará (a type of wolf),
harpy eagle and the pipile jacutinga (a bird). On the highest part of the plateau there is
predominantly rocky formation. Up the edge, at 2200m high, the temperature may go below 5ºC
in the winter.
Hiking through the woods on trails of varied levels of difficulties as well as taking baths
in the waterfalls are whole year activities.
Suggested time: 3 to 5 days
GENERAL AIMS
To understand the importance of a Preservation Unit and the need to maintain it.
To evaluate the responses of the student’s body exposed to walking physical effort;
To observe the Atlantic Forest typical fauna and flora and their main features;
To identify the biodiversity through living organisms and their adaptation to each
environment, relating them to climate, land relief and vegetation;
To study mountain and urban topography, highlighting valleys and Rivers;
To foster group socialization and interaction using team spirit and awareness
dynamics as a tool.
PARQUE NACIONAL DE ITATIAIA-RJ/ ITATIAIA NATIONAL PARK/ SUGGESTED ITINERARY
(EXAMPLE)
1st DAY
MORNING
2nd DAY
Rio Bonito
AFTERNOON
Funil Hydroelectric
Power Plant
EVENING
Lecture: National
Park
3rd DAY
4th DAY
Três Picos Trail
Areias and São José
do Barreiro
Waterfalls
Astronomy
Wrap up activities
PARQUE NACIONAL DE ITATIAIA-RJ / STUDY POSSIBILITIES
RIVER DYNAMICS
ATLANTIC FOREST
Subjects: Geography, Physics and Biology
Objectives:
9 To measure the variables in watercourse. It includes
width, depth, stream speed, gradients and rock
composition. To compare different parts of the river,
like meanders and straight river courses;
9 To present data, including river profiles, on charts.
Estimated time period: 2 hours
Subjects: Biology, Geography and Maths
Objetives:
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Subjects: All
Objectives:
9 To get acquainted with the public school system in
the state of Rio de Janeiro;
9 To meet students of CIEPs (Centro Integrado de
Educação Pública) in Resende/RJ;
9 Group discussion on studied topics such as health,
basic sanitation, environment, work and education,
popular culture and youth social areas;
9 To present students’ productions such as dance,
theater, music, arts and lectures.
Estimated time period: 3 hours
FUNIL HYDROELECTRIC
Subjects: Geography, Biology e Physics.
Objectives:
9 To get acquainted with a power plant operation;
9 To analyze the environmental impact caused by the
construction of a dam;
9 To raise awareness on the need to use and save
electric energy rationally.
Estimated time period: 2 hours
WATER QUALITY
Subjects: Biology and Chemistry
Objectives:
9 To measure chemical parameters of water
composition (pH, iron, nitrate and chloride) of a river;
9 To identify bioindicators;
9 To analyze the components contents mentioned above
and implications of water quality in the environment;
9 To get acquainted with invertebrates and the
implications in the water quality sampled from the
environment.
Estimated time period: 1 hour
METEOROLOGY
Subjects: Biology, Physics and Chemistry
Objectives:
9 To
measure
meteorological
environmental
parameters: temperature, winds, relative humidity,
luminous intensity, etc.
Estimated time period: 1 hour
9
To evaluate the Atlantic Forest as a tropical forest
environment by means of:
a)
Vegetal Biodiversity and biotic factors
quantification through the least square method
including: tree proportions, flower widespread
as well as abundance and diversity of
invertebrates.
b) Measuring the meteorological environmental
parameters (wind, relative humidity and
temperature analysis);
c) Analyzing soil characteristics (acidity, depth,
structure and composition).
9 To discuss the energy flow and the nutrients cycling
after the data collecting;
9 To reinforce biology concepts (food chain, organisms
adaptation);
9 To analyze data and to quantify mathematically the
statistic frequency of the found biota;
9 To study chart presentation techniques of results.
Estimated time period: 2 hours
TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENT
Subjects: Geography, Biology and Maths
Objectives:
9 To evaluate visitors physical impact on the area of
Parque Nacional de Itatiaia;
9 To draw statistics of tourists flow in the visited areas; to
analyze the quality of both welcoming service and
educational material handed out;
9 To classify landscape and erosion processes;
9 To present a chart and discuss the Park management;
9 To evaluate the tourism socio-environment impact in
small communities and in (Preservation Units).
Estimated time period: 1 hour
CARTOGRAPHY
Subjects: Geography
Objectives:
9 To acquire notions of scale, use of a compass and/or a
GPS, techniques of map elaboration as well as its
analysis and reading; to elaborate a croquis of the
main park trails;
9 To observe the local fauna and flora throughout the
trekking.
Estimated time period: 2 hours
POPULATION, ECONOMY AND HISTORY
Subjects: Geography, Sociology and History
Objectives:
9 To evaluate the social, economical, historical and
cultural aspects of a specific community through
interviews and current data reading of the place;
9 To describe the local society;
9 To analyze historic data registers: evaluation of local
documents, photography and drawing; to work out a
“travel log”.
Estimated time period: 3 hours