Conhecendo e aprendendo sobre biodiversidade: EPAGRI de portas abertas

Abstract

The Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (EPAGRI) has the second largest entomological museum in the Santa Catarina state which is registered in the Brazilian Museum Institute (IBRAM). The collection is located at EPAGRI-Experimental Station of Caçador (EECD) and includes more than 10,000 specimens of arthropods from the Brazilian fauna and a collection of native snakes. The collection is used in research carried out by EPAGRI and as didactic material for students at schools and universities in Santa Catarina. Since 2009, part of the collection has been destined for community visitation through activities developed in the project “Knowing and learning about biodiversity: EPAGRI with open doors”. The project aims to guide visitors about the importance of arthropods pests in agriculture, beneficial insects to man and nature, disease-carrying insects and poisonous and venomous animals. Information about environmental education, sustainable ecological agriculture and good agronomic practices from EPAGRI’s Technologies are provided. The visitors are farmers, teachers and students, researchers and the community in general. Until March 2023, more than 10,000 people have already participated in the project. At Maicé Hospital, the main hospital in the region, the number of visits arising from accidents with venomous and poisonous animals has decreased, which reinforces the importance of community awareness and the continuity of the development of this project.