Our goal is to generate income from the sustainable use of Cerrado products, such as fruits and seeds, and services, such as nature tourism.

Actions:

  • Partnership with the Kalunga community to collect seeds in the Reserve, for use in restoration activities.

  • Creation of an interpretive trail in the Reserve.

  • In the medium term: evaluate the extractive potential of species with potential for human use, identified by the forest inventory - monkey pepper, cagaita, breu, etc.





Interpretive Trails

Purpose of the trails

The trails aim to offer users the best possible experience of contact with nature (flora, fauna, geology) and to be sustainable (no negative impact on the habitat). The trails will be used by the owners, their visitors, and for environmental education activities in the future.


Users

  • Walkers

  • Cyclists (mountain bike)

  • Horseback riders


Buritis Island Trail and Sucupira Lowlands (in yellow)

Description: This circular loop trail passes through a variety of different habitats such as open fields, typical cerrado, gallery forest, crosses the buritis creek, and offers views of the Serra das Araras. Several observation points will be installed. The route will be further detailed with more field visits, particularly the passages between north and south.

Distance: 3 km

Difficulty level: Medium


Santana's viewpoint trail (in green)

Description: The trail begins at the eastern end of the reserve, gradually opening up to a beautiful view of the Santana Mountains and the Santana Waterfall, with stops at rocky cerrado gardens for a rest. Ideal for a sunset drink.

Distance: 1.5 km

Difficulty level: Medium / High


How to improve the user experience

  • Install interpretive signs along the trail for nature interpretation. Work already started with flora signs (see photos).

  • Ensure transit through different types of landscapes - open fields, typical cerrado, gallery forest, uphill terrain with views of the Araras Mountains, downhill terrain with views of the Cavalcante valley and Boa Vista Mountains, buritis creek, veredas.

  • Attract fauna by means of watering troughs and feeders.

  • Prepare digital (Wikiloc) and printed trail map.

Entry Signaling

Principles: signs will be bilingual (Portuguese and English), must follow the visual identity of RNVB, low intensity signaling (class 2 trail), placed on the right of the trail

  • Size and placement: Format: 1 meter x 1.5 meter, metal, positioned on a wooden trestle at the beginning of the trails.

  • Information on the sign: map, distance, duration, level of physical demand, attractions along the way (indicated by destination signs), risks, Reserve logo, QR code (pointing to the Reserve's page).

Example of a track entry plate

Route Signaling

Direction signs: Signaling with arrows painted with spray paint (graffiti) or aerosol, in yellow and black, 10 cm x 20 cm, on the ground, trees (brush the tree to even out the surface), fences, or rocks (painted on the side).

Example of directional signs

Destination signaling

Wooden sign (50 cm x 10 cm), with the name of the destination (eg. Riacho dos Buritis), logo, QR code, altitude.

Example of destination signaling

Interpretive Signage

Features cultural or natural aspects. Metal plate of 1 meter by 70 cm with each drawing following a specific model. Examples: fauna of the Reserve, mining in Cavalcante, geology of the Chapada dos Veadeiros, natural indigenous people of the region (Avá Canoeiro), hydrological aspects.

Example of an interpretive plaque

How to guarantee the sustainability of the trails

  • The trails follow a previously created route (near the fence and firebreak in the northern part, and on an old road in the southern part, closer to the National Park) or are also used for other finds (e.g. firebreaks).

  • Erosion is avoided by following the contours of the terrain, passing through appropriate soils (mixture of sand, clay and silt).

  • The opening of the trail also prevents people from opening their own trails when passing through the property, and thus preserves the habitat.

  • The trails avoid passing through gallery forest, and through watercourses and other sensitive areas on the property, including animal nesting areas. For access to the gallery forest and watercourse, there will be specific access points in a few numbers.


Trail protection

  • Opening of the trail. North and south island traces already prepared during aceiro preparation in August 2021 (photos below). The east and west track to connect the loop is to be opened. At the crossing of the buritis vereda creek a small wooden installation will be necessary to avoid trampling (planned for September 2021).

  • Install signage.

  • Install rest areas at strategic points. At these points, users would rest and enjoy some unique feature of the landscape. Examples:

    • Area with a view to the Serra das Araras (southern part, inside the National Park), where there would be plaques about geology

    • Area near the buritis creek, where there would be places about fauna and water in the cerrado

    • Area next to a stream that may have been an area of alluvial gold mining (according to João Lino), add a plaque about the history of the place

    • Area inside the gallery forest, where there would be signs about this physiognomy

  • Install feeders and drinkers at strategic points along the trail to attract wildlife.

Trail Maintenance

  • Manual cleaning of the trails annually

  • Maintain the signaling