Environmental Wealth - Carajás Forest

Jaborandi collector in Parauapebas - PA

The National Forest of Carajás has 411 thousand hectares and is part of the municipalities of Parauapebas, Canaã dos Carajás and Água Azul do Norte, home to the Carajás Grande Project, where Vale is installed to do mineral exploration, in accordance with Brazilian legislation. Much research is done to prospect for its riches. There is an environmental concern with scientific research aimed at protecting the fauna and the Royal Hawk (Harpya harpya) and the Great Blue Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), but, for that, it was a great area for exploration and another protected for the natural preservation of this Fantastic beauty. The good thing is that there are already monitors formed by ICMBio and Unifesspa and guides of the Cooperture for the guided visits and with information of the fauna, flora and of many surprises like waterfalls, caves, caves and etc.

In this natural complex is installed the Carajás Zoobotanical Park, the Carajás Zoo, in an area equivalent to 30 football fields with native forest and animals of the Amazon Forest, the visitor will have contact with jaguars, monkeys, snakes, chelonians, macaws and tapirs that Live freely, in addition to knowing examples of plant species.

Treatment through Jaborandi

From Carajás it is extracted besides minerals such as gold, iron, manganese among others, the Jaborandi, (scientific name: Pilocarpus jaborandi) plant of Brazilian origin, named by the Tupi-Guarani Indians of "yaboran-di" or "plant that makes Drool "and used it to produce sweat because of its sweating and diuretic properties. It is now known its importance in the treatment of glaucoma and hair loss. Many countries buy it for use in combating glaucoma, the world's largest cause of blindness, as a component in the manufacture of eye drops for the treatment of the disease. Through the research, the phenological monitoring of jaborandi and the mapping of the areas with the presence of the species were carried out. One of the most significant results was the identification of 5,538.90 hectares of this natural occurrence area in sixteen distinct points.

Jaborandi has properties for internal and external uses, such as: acne, asthma, catarrhal or rheumatic disease, Alopecia (hair loss), Amenorrhea, Arthritis, Blistering, Bronchitis, Dry mouth, Dandruff, Mumps, Intestinal and hepatic colic, Retinal Displacement, Diabetes Mellitus, Diphtheria, Toothache, Pulmonary Edema, Fever, Resected Feces, Glaucoma, Flu, Hemoptysis, Local or General Hyperhidrosis, Cerebral Palsy, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Rheumatism, etc.

National Forest of Carajás, beautiful, wonderful

Beauties of the Carajás National Forest

Leaving Parauapebas by bus, the trip to Carajás Forest lasts about two hours, towards a luxurious lodging that served the state-run Vale that will be destined to support ecotourism. The tour can also be started from within the mining company, however, and must maintain prior contact for authorization and assembly of a structure by the company that will lead to the tour.

There is conservation and biodiversity reconciled with other activities, including mining, a bit tricky. In this area of ​​metallophile savannas, a species of rock vegetation that occurs in areas of hematite canga, characterized by rock formation soil with high content of iron in its composition (lithosol). This open savannah is considered as an ecosystem parallel to the Amazonian ecosystem and shelters a great diversity of endemic plants and species. Due to the rocky characteristics of the soil, it is difficult to infiltrate the waters and roots, impacting on the non-emergence of large trees such as the Amazon rainforest of dense, open and closed ombrophilous forests, hence the emergence of large liminal lagoons only in Rainy seasons. The sensation of the visitor is to be somewhere in the Brazilian Northeast, because vegetation predominates of caatinga and cerrado, and it is possible to find mandacaru, typical of hot and dry climate.

In this very green world of the forest of Carajás are waterfalls of clear water, caves, caves, a world full of life reflected in the many trees and animals typical of the region. The living nature constantly intones its song, of birds and animals and a unique coloring. It is the pleasant contact that gives the visitor a feeling of want more. In 2014 the Carajás Forest was visited by 216 thousand people, according to data from Cooperture - Cooperativa de Ecoturismo de Carajás and according to the president of the cooperative Gilberto Silva Vieira there is a preference for visitors for bird watching and for scientific research.

Águas Claras Waterfall, more Ecotourism

Clear Waters Waterfall

Another well-visited destination is the Águas Claras Waterfall, starts at the Parauapebas gateway and continues along the trail to Lagoa da Mata, arriving at the Mirador da Mina de N5, on the metallophile savanna, through caves and caves to the beautiful waterfall. It takes a bit of adventurous spirit to face this venture accompanied by Cooperture drivers who has 24 guides trained to carry out ecotourism activities and with full support of the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation - ICMBio.

The tour costs $ 200 for groups of up to 15 people. In addition, there are two fees in the amount of R $ 5.50, each, for the ICMBio and per vehicle used in the visit, respectively. More information by phone (94) 99157-4987.