History

In 1975, Evandro Ayer and Catarina Schiffer bougth the Vagafogo farm. They soon perceived the wealth of the place and adopted goals of preservation and sustentability of the property. The great treasure of the farm is the forest and its immense wealth. The opening of trails inside of the forest took the optimum knowledge of the area and promoted leisure to the edges of the river Vagafogo, that cuts the forest to the trail. The well-taken care of largeness of the forest and ways had started to be attractive for their children Uirá and Maíra, friends and visitors.

In 1990, pressured by the increasing tourism in Pirenópolis, the family decided to look for partnership. Intermediary by FUNATURA - they registered the RPPN, and the protected the area is almost 50% of the whole farm envolving, and elaborated a Management Plan, becoming the first reserve of the state of Goiás and the first one of a net of reserves that the FUNATURA would initiate. The British Embassy was also a partner, who supplied resources for the construction of the Visitors Center, and Boticário that supplied with the electronic and electric donation. The British Embassy also assisted in the construction of the Interpretative Trail Mother-of-the Forest. Protection to the Nature was implemented with the aid of the Foundation that also assisted in the construction of the Interpretative Track Mother-of-the Forest.

In 19 of March of 1992, the Farm opened for visitation with the presence of the Prince Phillip of England, country that supported the project through its Embassy.

Today the Farm offers various programs of eventual visiting tourism and ambiental education involving, school groups and segments of the community of Pirenópolis.

See:

About RPPNS in HowStuffWorks

Partners

The support of the FUNATURA resulted in the creation of a Management Plan for the property. Researchers had identified elements of the fauna, flora, geography, geology, hydrography, at last it was possible by means of the plan to know the deep a wealth and the potential of the reserve.

For the execution of the Management Plan, Funatura had the finantial support from WWF. The financiers of the project had the guarantee of the proprietors that had registered in notary's office the perpetuity for future generations areas of the forest of the farm that they add 17 hectares. In 1990, the Ibama Institute of the Environment and the Natural resources created the RPPNs and the Vagafogo farm started to be part of this important project of preservation of the nature in Brazil. Recently, the IBAMA supplied apprehended wood revitalization for the trail.

The Boticario Foundation and Protection of the Nature also helped in the construction of the Visitors Center and made possible the act of contract of researchers for programs of ambiental education in the area, developed next to the community.

The Government of the State of Goiás and the City hall of Pirenópolis have collaborated for the recognition and the promotion of the reserve Vagafogo, an example for ecoturismo, sustentability and development.

Commentaries

"The FUNATURA is proud more than of its partnership of ten years with the Vagafogo Sanctuary, that if has constituted an excellent example for similar initiatives in some points of Brazil, that they unite conservation of the nature and economic sustentabilidade."

Cesar Victor do Espírito Santo - Executive Superintendent of the FUNATURA

"The Vagafogo Sanctuary represents for Goiás a referencial landmark in the sustainable exploitation of the natural resources. The Vagafogo determined new ways for the ecoturismo, teaching to the future generations the real value of the open pasture for goiana economy e, in special, for the tourism."

Marcelo Safadi - President of the Agência Goiana de Turismo

"When the word ecoturismo not yet was part of the daily vocabulary, the British embassy and the WWF had sponsored the construction of the center of visitation of the Sanctuary of Wild Life Vagafogo. We were certain of that we supported a pioneering initiative in the field of the ambient preservation, which would very go to be successful. She is, therefore, with enormous satisfaction that now we observe the fruits of this work.

Work that if does not restrict simply to the promotion of the ecoturismo and the conservation of the nature, but, still more important, promotes the awareness ambient of the society. This is a beautiful example of the type of ambient initiative that the United Kingdom if is proud to support.

It has accurately 10 years (19 of March of 1992), the Prince Phillip inaugurated the visitation center. Today, certainly with the same satisfaction that it felt, it inaugurated the new tracks that will be used for ambient education, whose construction we finance. Good desire luck to responsible for the wonderful trabalhoe continuous success."

Sir Roger Bone - British Ambassador in Brazil

"The success of the Vagafogo reserve sample that is possible to live in harmony with the environment. to use of adequate form the natural resources is what this particular reserve comes making successfully has 10 years."

Dr. Garo Batmanian - General Secretary of the WWF - Brazil

"I have folloied has years, with interest and admiration, the successful experience in ecoturismo that if comes developing in the Vagafogo Farm. It is to be distinguished, in first place, the pioneering character of the initiative. It still fulfills to recognize the cultural importance of the project. For having opened way the initiative. It still fulfills to recognize the cultural importance of the project. For having opened way similar initiatives e, over all, for the work of ambient awareness that carries through, the Vagafogo deserves the recognition of all the ones that if worry about the preservation of the nature. Desire in this deposition to register my enthusiasm with this important initiative."

Sérgio Amaral - Minister of the Development, Industry and I deal Exterior

Archives

• Recepy Book - A result of Vagafogo Project - Organized by Cirley Motta - 1999.
• Click here to read the article of Mark Dourogeanni from the news paper "The Eco".
• Management Plan - Wild Life Sanctuary Vagafogo - (Large file - 22MB)
• Management of Low Impact at the Florest in "Vagafogo Farm"