A LOOK AT THE FOREST: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH DIGITAL LENSES

Abstract

The tropical forests stand out for having one of the greatest biodiversity on the planet, with a high degree of endemism, being a barn for a large amount of organisms. They are so dynamic and productive that many of the species that inhabit this biome still remain unknown to science. Despite their importance, tropical forests are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, with Brazil having the highest concentration in the world. The Atlantic Forest and its associated ecosystems that make up the Atlantic Forest biome stands out for its diversity of species, recognized for its high complexity and concentration of life in abundance. Currently, the original cover of the forest is restricted mostly to fragments of forest, but the conservation of the remaining spaces can be used as one of the mechanisms for preserving all this wealth. Environmental education can be one of the alternatives to slow down the disappearance of this forest and prevent this biome from collapsing. In this sense, school spaces can be pointed out as an environment conducive to making people awaken interest in the care of the forest. Thinking about this, the work aimed to record through digital lenses the various perceptions within a fragment of Atlantic Forest, in order to provoke reflections through the eyes of elementary school students.