Serra do Brigadeiro State Park
www.caratinga.mg.gov.br)
The Serra do Brigadeiro State Park shelters the most important remnant of seasonal semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest in the state of Minas Gerais, it's part of the UN Biosphere Reserve, and better still, it's right on our doorstep! The park's craggy mountains and deep ravines protect an extraordinary range of biodiversity, including the largest known population of Brachyteles hypoxanthus, (the Wooly Spider monkey,) the most endangered primate in the New World.
The forests shelter a great variety of endangered animal and plant species, some of which are still unknown to science. The Park's ecosystem is rich in plant species such as bromeliads, orchids, cedrelis, candeias, jequitibas, peroba, canjaranas and palms. It is also a refuge for endangered fauna such as the masked titi monkey, jaguar, ocelot, and various frog species. A paradise for birders, its extensive list includes the dusky legged guan, the maroon bellied parrakeet and the bare-throated bellbird. The highest point of the park is the 2000 m Soares Peak where the forest extends up to about 1400 m, gives way to transition forest, and then to alpine meadows above 1600 m.
History of the park
The idea of creating a park in the Serra do Brigadeiro dates back to the 1980s. In the early 1990s a proposal was made to include all the land above 1000 m, covering an area of 33,000 ha. This met with considerable resistance from family farmers living in the region, and there began a process of debate as to the best way of preserving the forest without endangering the livelhoods of the smallholders.
As a result of these discussions the park boundaries were defined as the core conservation area of 13,000 ha, later extended to 15,000 ha. The mission of the park is to protect the natural heritage of the Atlantic Rainforest mountain massifs, valleys and montane habitats of Minas Gerais, whilst facilitating scientific research, education and ecotourism, and contributing towards the development of communities in the area.
It's a privilege for Iracambi to be located so close to the park, and we do all we can to support park staff in their efforts to care for the environment and win hearts and minds among the local community. We play an active role in the advisory boards both of the park itself and also of the State Forestry Institute, and we are committed to protect and expand the area of protected forest in which we are lucky enough to live.