Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park
| Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park | |
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| Parque Natural Municipal Montanhas de Teresópolis | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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The park at sunset in May 2014
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| Nearest city | Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro |
| Coordinates | 22°20′03″S 43°00′54″W / 22.334236°S 43.01508°WCoordinates: 22°20′03″S 43°00′54″W / 22.334236°S 43.01508°W |
| Area | 4,397 hectares (10,870 acres) |
| Designation | Municipal nature park |
| Created | 6 July 2009 |
| Administrator | Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente |
The Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park (Portuguese: Parque Natural Municipal Montanhas de Teresópolis) is a municipal nature park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects an area of Atlantic Forest. The area has been badly degraded in some areas by human activity before the park was created, but efforts are being made to restore the former ecology.
The Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park is in the northwest part of the municipality of Teresópolis, adjoining the municipalities of Petrópolis and São José do Vale do Rio Preto. With an area of 4,397 hectares (10,870 acres), it is the largest fully protected municipal conservation unit in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is in the hydrological basin of the Piabanha, Preto and Paquequer rivers. The park contains an imposing mountain range that contains large rocky outcrops such as the Tartaruga, Camelo and Santana. The park is used by students of the municipality's Alpine Farming |School for environmental education projects in a partnership between the environment and education departments. The park adjoins the Serra dos Órgãos National Park at the Caleme Dam.
The Montanhas de Teresópolis Municipal Nature Park was created by municipal decree 3.693 of 6 June 2009. The objectives are to preserve natural ecosystems of great ecological importance and scenic beauty, enabling scientific research and education, recreation in contact with nature and eco-tourism. The park was included in the Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic, which had been created in December 2006. As of 2016 the park did not have a management plan.
The park protects many springs and important remnants of Atlantic Forest. An ecological survey identified 121 bird species, 31 mammals, including some endangered species, 19 reptiles, 10 amphibians and 8 groups of insects. Much damage was done to the ecology in the past, but it is slowly recovering. Extraction of minerals was common, but is now prohibited, and the traces of quarrying are being covered by vegetation. A partnership between the park and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is to plant seedlings of native Atlantic Forest trees in the most degraded areas. Hunting and trapping of birds has been almost eliminated with the help of the people living around the conservation unit.
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Wikipedia