Seeking to bridge the gap between scientists and the public, WCS Brazil and its collaborators have published Ciência Pantanal (Pantanal Science), a new scientific journal designed to inform rural communities of the latest in environmental studies and issues.
The editors and authors of Ciência Pantanal have now published their second volume, written by 44 authors from 8 different organizations/institutions. The focus of the articles range from sustainable land-use to dragonflies and singing frogs, all written in an audience-friendly language under the guidance of chief editor and award winning environmental journalist Liana John.
“Since 95 percent of the Pantanal is on private lands, we depend on farmers and cattle ranchers to open doors for us to do research and collaborate with conservation programs. We wanted to find a way to share academic research conducted on their lands that could be of interest to all rural property owners,” said Alexine Keuroghlian, creator of the magazine, and coordinator of the Pantanal Program. “It turns out that Ciência Pantanal is filled with fascinating discoveries and research that it is of interest to everyone!”
The scientific journal was distributed without cost at a recent event in Campo Grande organized by WCS Brazil, the Environmental Parliamentary Front, and the Environmental Committee of the National Order of Attorneys of Brazil. The event united more than 120 people, including regional landowners, members of governmental and non-governmental institutions, political leaders, rural workers union members, Pantanal landowner associations, academic researchers, journalists, students, and tourist agencies. A central element of the event was a roundtable with key stakeholders, government, and non-government institutions to discuss concerns about the rural environmental registry.
“We’re encouraged by the outpouring of support we’ve received for Ciência Pantanal from both the general public and academia,” said Dr. Carlos Durigan, Director of WCS’s Brazil Program. “Ciência Pantanal fills an essential niche that helps to channel important science to the communities that can benefit from it the most.”
Ciência Pantanal has already been distributed nationwide, in particular to remote areas of the Pantanal such as schools, many of which are incorporating the journal in science environmental and education programs.
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