Communication for conservation: a case study of the movement in favor of the Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area (Paraná State, Southern Brazil)

Abstract

The Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area is a sustainable protected area created in 1992, devoted to the pro-tection of the natural and cultural heritage of the Campos Gerais in Paraná State, Southern Brazil, and also of the transition zone between the First and Second Paranaense Plateaus. It includes examples of Brazilian geoheritage, such as the Devonian Escarpment, Buraco do Padre sinkhole, and the Vila Velha sandstones. In 2016, the Law Project 527/2016, which proposes a reduction of almost 70% of its original area, began its legal process in the Legislative Assembly of Paraná. A synergy between the scientific, academic and conservationist community, and the general population led to several successful communication ac-tions. Among these were: creation of a social network page in defense of the protected area, production of scientific outreach material, explanation of the relevance of the protected area and reasons to reject the project, news reports in various media, lectures on the protected area and the Law Project, and production of a documentary film with key participation by artists from Paraná State. As a consequence, the Law Project had its approval possibilities greatly diminished, and the level of knowledge by the population, regarding the natural and cultural heritage of the Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area, increased significantly.