Linking Community Communication to Conservation of the Maned Wolf in Central Brazil

This article describes the environmental education (EE) program developed in the neighboring community of Serra da Canastra National Park based on a research project focused on the maned wolf conservation. The article assesses three tools used to foster the community's participation in discussing local issues: (1) communal production of a book about the region; (2) deployment of a traveling environmental cinema project through local towns and farms; and (3) training courses for the community on how to use communication tools for EE. Despite their differences and intrinsic limitations, the three strategies applied in this study proved effective in promoting community participation. The maned wolf species benefited indirectly from having its image associated to relevant cultural activities for the community. In addition, the connection generated by the project in the community certainly extended to the species at hand. Interest in the species and project actions grew among the community, which became more active in finding solutions for existing conflicts. The book's approval by the community and the opinion of the authors showed that preparing a book with local authorship is a powerful tool for community mobilization. Using cinema language also proved effective to spike the community's interest in discussing issues related to conservation in the rural environment. (Contains 2 tables.)