PORTO JOFRE SCHOOL & FIELD STATION PROJECT BY UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDENTS: Ethan Shirley, Anthropology/Zoology Julie Bateman, Civil Eng./Int.’l Nat. Res. Studies EXPECTED TIME FRAME: Construction in Summer 2010 P A N T A N A L P A R T N E R S H I P Connecting education, conservation, and clean energy in the Brazilian Pantanal University of Michigan College of LS&A and School of Engineering • telephone: 847-903-4647 Hyacinth Macaw (www.wikimedia.org )
P A N T A N A L P A R T N E R S H I PConnect ing education, conservation, and c lean energy in the Brazi l ian Pantanal
U n i v e r s i t y o f M i c h i g a n C o l l e g e o f L S & A a n d S c h o o l o f E n g i n e e r i n g • t e l e p h o n e : 8 4 7 - 9 0 3 - 4 6 4 7
The Pantanal in Brazil is a complex ecosystem in which stereotypically rainforest-dwelling animals and plants exist in a much more open environment. It is the world’s largest wetland, and in addition to its natural flora and fauna, it is home to cattle ranchers (pantaneiros) who own ranches throughout the wet-land and small communities of fishermen who live along the many rivers that flow through the area. The Pantanal is an ecological unit of immense importance, possessing the highest rank of biological distinct-iveness (“globally outstanding”). It is also considered the “highest priority” for conservation action in the region according to an assessment by World Wildlife Fund [WWF] and Biodiversity Support Program (Junk et al., 2005).
Since being introduced by Europeans in the mid-1700s, traditional cattle ranching in the Pantanal has re-mained a sustainable system through which the local people and their natural surroundings can coexist peacefully (Junk et al., 2005). Beginning in the mid-1970s, commercial enterprises in ranching and fishing have led to a suite of serious problems in the Pantanal, including abusive deforestation and damaging of regional waterways (Harris et al., 2004). Commercial cattle ranching has strongly affected the natural ecosystems of the Pantanal by utilizing unsustainable practices like overgrazing of pastures, plantation of artificial pasture areas, and further deforestation to increase pasture size; it has also increased the eco-nomic hardship of the pantaneiros whose traditional ranching techniques are much more environmentally friendly (Junk et al., 2005). The pantaneiros ‘ culture and sustainable cattle ranches are at risk of being lost as more and more locals must leave the Pantanal to get their children an education in larger towns and cities (Haller et al., 2008).
Despite the Pantanal’s rank by WWF as “globally outstanding” in terms of biodiversity, there are great voids in species databases, and unreliable research records. The Pantanal is an extremely important area for bird conservation: 463 species in total have been recorded in the area, and it is a stop in the annual migrations of a multitude of species. It also boasts large populations of vulnerable and endangered spe-cies like the jaguar, marsh deer, giant otter, and the beautiful Hyacinth Macaw (Harris et al., 2004). The importance of conservation of the Pantanal is compounded because it is a stronghold for a variety of spe-cies which have lost habitat in other areas of their range (Junk et al., 2006). Incomplete and sometimes incorrect research records can hamper efforts to conserve the area, as the lack of analysis of environmental impact and other factors make planning successful, sustainable long-term conservation strategies difficult (Bird Life International, 2004; Junk et al., 2006).
Cattle on ranch, Pantanal, Brazil (ecotours.com) Giant Otter, Pantanal, Brazil (ecotours.com) Jabiru storks, Pantanal, Brazil (ecotours.com)
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Porto Jofre School & Field Station
Our area of interest in the Northern Pantanal is located south of the town of Poconé, Brazil, in the state of Mato Grosso. Ethan Shirley has been to this region several times volunteering at an ecolodge, performing functions from cooking and cleaning to guiding tours and making plaster casts of jaguar prints. There is one main dirt road stretching 150 kilometers from Poconé to Porto Jofre, a small fishing village which contains a rest stop, resort, and airstrip. On the pothole-filled dirt road (called the Transpantaneira Highway), the drive between Poconé and Porto Jofre can take three or four hours. Porto Jofre has a small population of local fishermen and the surrounding area has a larger population of cattle-ranching panta-neiros. The village currently has no school, so members of the community must move the 150 kilometers to Poconé or further to get their children an adequate education.
Map of Brazil and the Pantanal (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/south-america/brazil/the-pantanal/)
Many of the locals would not move away from their lives in the Pantanal if there was a school nearby. Both pantaneiros and fishermen from the surrounding areas would be able to send their kids (20 to 50 in total) to school without leaving the Pantanal. The school would also be capable of teaching illiterate adults in the area how to read and write. The curriculum would be equivalent to that in Poconé, and the facility would be staffed by trained locals. The importance of conservation of the natural surroundings would be stressed to individuals of all ages, and workshops open to the public will provide additional education about the environment and sustainable development.
Joining the school with a university-level field station would provide an opportunity to do an in-depth study of the Pantanal while promoting sustainable development in the region. Professors and graduate students in this field of study would be able to conduct extended research in this vibrant wetland. Addi-tionally, the joint facility could function as a study abroad destination for undergraduates interested in ecology, zoology, environmental studies and other related fields. To further the goal of sustainability, a solar power system would be built for the joint school and field station. The facility would offer a conflu-ence of education, conservation, and clean energy, which could help solve a host of ecological problems as well as sustain the community. P a n t a n a l P a r t n e r s h i p P o r t o J o f r e S c h o o l & F i e l d S t a t i o n
1. Provide basic education for children in Porto Jofre and surrounding region. 2. Promote locals' understanding of importance of conservation in the Pantanal.3. Establish field station and study abroad program to better the scientific understanding of the area.4. Create economic benefits by providing consumer market (professors, researchers, and students) to
Porto Jofre’s residents and surrounding pantaneiros.
Phases
1. Planning (July 2009 to April 2010)• Work with Porto Jofre community, local universities, and University of Michigan to develop best
plan of action. Develop construction cost estimate and preliminary budget. 2. Construction, Utilities, Certification, Stocking (May 2010 to August 2010)
• Transport supplies and materials to Porto Jofre. Build concrete and wood structures with tile roofs, then install water pipes, photovoltaic system, and Internet.
3. On-going sustainability of the facility (August 2010 - )• Hire teacher, director and open facility to students and researchers. Determine on-going incomes
and costs, and how to measure the triple bottom line.
Strategy
Promote conservation of important ecological regions through establishing local schools, powered with alternative energy. Create research opportunities through these local connections, and network with re-gional universities and conservation initiatives to expand scientific understanding of the area.
Scalability
While the Pantanal is a pressing concern for conservation and ecologically friendly development in South America, it is by no means the only natural area worth preserving. There are hundreds of other areas prone to damage by unsustainable commercial development, especially in areas of Africa and Asia where population density is extremely high and still growing (Junk, 2002; Junk et al., 2005). Education and co-operation with the local communities in such precious and threatened areas is critical for successful con-servation; but this does not mean that all of the problems will be instantaneously solved. Fighting to pre-serve nature while simultaneously improving quality of life of communities in developing countries is an uphill battle. However, sustainable and forward-thinking solutions can be successful over long periods of time. The intent of the Pantanal Partnership is not only to provide one village in Brazil with a school, but also to create a sustainable system that may be applied to similar communities worldwide.
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Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. This map shows the Pantanal itself in red, and also shows other possible areas into which the idea of the Pantanal Partnership can be applied. (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v403/n6772/fig_tab/403853a0_F1.html)
Time FramePhase 1: Planning - July 2009 to April 2010
• Porto Jofre• Survey to determine how many students the school would serve• Discuss land permit/purchase with community
• University of Michigan• Global Intercultural Exchange for Undergraduates (GIEU)
• Work with faculty sponsor and apply to be a 4-week program for 10-12 undergraduates.• Energy Systems Engineering Masters Program
• Alain Chakam will complete design for photovoltaic system by October 31st, 2009.• Program in the Environment/Office of International Programs
• Discuss possibility of summer program, local workshops• Erb Institute, School of Natural Resources, School of Engineering
• Utilize resources and advice.• Project Development
• Budget Estimate for travel, construction, utilities, stocking• Plan for Economically Sustainable Enterprise to match income and costs of facility
Phase 2: Construction, Utilities, Certification, Stocking - May 2010 to August 2010• Construction
• Transport materials from Pocone. Build basic structure for school, field station, and common area with GIEU support if project is selected. Roof buildings and add screens.
• Install utilities• Water – install similar system to rest of community• Electricity – implement photovoltaic design with Brazilian supplier• Internet – discuss with Porto Jofre Hotel
• Certification• Contact Brazil Ministry of Education, discuss options for employing a teacher
Phase 3: On-going sustainability of the facility - August 2010 and onwards• Hire a teacher for the school, and a director for the field station.• Open school to local students and field station to researchers.• Establish procedure to analyze triple bottom line (economic, ecological, social) to measure impact of
the facility on the surrounding region. Implement Plan for Economically Sustainable Enterprise.
About UsEthan Shirley ([email protected]) is concentrating in Anthropology and Zoology, with a minor in Pale-ontology. He is most interested in integrating science, technology, and sustainable community develop-ment in third-world countries. Importantly for this project, Ethan is fluent in Portuguese and has contacts in Mato Grosso after spending five summers in Brazil. Julie Bateman ([email protected]) is studying Civil & Environmental Engineering and International Natural Resource Studies at the University of Michigan. She is focused on engineering and implementing clean energy systems in developing countries. Julie will soon be functional in Portuguese.P a n t a n a l P a r t n e r s h i p P o r t o J o f r e S c h o o l & F i e l d S t a t i o n
AcknowledgementsWe would to thank the following individuals, programs, and organizations for their generous support and valuable advice.
Mato Grosso, Brazil Eduardo Falcao de Arruda, Director of the Jaguar Ecological ReserveUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI (www.umich.edu/) Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute (http://www.erb.umich.edu/) Bharathwajan Iyengar, prospective MBA/MS Trip O’Shea, prospective MBA/MS Center for Global and Intercultural Study (http://www.gieu.umich.edu/) Dr. AT Miller, Director of Global Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates Honors Individual Concentration Program (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/Honors/) Prof. Jonathon Bulkley, Civil & Environmental Engineering/ School of Natural Resources Dr. Donna Wessel Walker, Honors Advisor Master of Energy Systems Engineering Program (http://energysystemseng.engin.umich.edu/) Prof. Christian Lastoskie, Civil & Environmental Engineering/ Biomedical Engineering Alain Chakam, Masters student in Energy Systems Engineering Program Evan Quasney, Energy Systems Engineer English Language Institute (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/) Melinda Matice, Lecturer in English, English Language Institute, and College of LS&A.Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest IL (http://www.woodlandsacademy.org/) Madeline Oelerich, Secretary/Treasurer of Student Government
ReferencesHARRIS, M. B., TOMAS, W., MOURAO, G., DA SILVA, C. J., GUIMARAES, E., SONODA, F. & FACHIM, E. 2005.
Safeguarding the Pantanal wetlands: Threats and conservation initiatives. Conservation Biology, 19, 714-720.BIRD LIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2004. Threatened birds of the world, CD-ROM. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife Interna-
tional.HALLER, K. & SCHNEIDER, P. 2008. Focus Conservation Fund - The Jaguar Ecological Reserve [Updated 06/08/08].
Santa Fe, NM. Available: http://www.focusconservation.org/jaguar_ecological_reserve.html [Accessed 07/25/09].
JUNK, W. J. 2002. Long-term environmental trends and the future of tropical wetlands. Environmental Conservation, 29, 414-435.
JUNK, W. J., DA CUNHA, C. N., WANTZEN, K. M., PETERMANN, P., STRUSSMANN, C., MARQUES, M. I. & ADIS, J. 2006. Biodiversity and its conservation in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Aquatic Sciences, 68, 278-309.
JUNK, W. J. & DA CUNHA, C. N. 2005. Pantanal: a large South American wetland at a crossroads. Ecological Engineer-ing, 24, 391-401.
OLSON, D., DINERSTEIN, E., CANEVARI, P., DAVIDSON, I., CASTRO, G., MORISSET, V., ABELL, R. & TOLEDO, E. 1998. Freshwater biodiversity of Latin America and the Caribbean: a conservation assessment. Washington, D.C.: Biodiversity Support Program.
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