By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In celebration of World Environment Day (Dia Mundial do Meio Ambiente) on June 5th, activities including exhibitions, seedling plantings, workshops, lectures, and additional outdoor activities are taking place in and around Rio de Janeiro throughout the week.
The Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) began their celebrations on Monday, June 1st and they will continue to host events at the Parque Tecnológico, through Wednesday, June 3rd.
UFRJ activities are free to the public and include daily seedling plantings, workshops, panel discussions about urban sustainability and smart cities, and exhibitions including “O mar não está para peixe” (The Sea is Not for Fish) which features student-created sculptures made from waste and trash found in and around Guanabara Bay.
In the neighborhood of Urca, the Companhia Caminho Aéreo Pão de Açúcar, the company that constructed, operates and maintains the bondinho (cable car) system between Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) and Morro da Urca, is celebrating World Environment Day by planting approximately eighty seedlings of native species in the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest) on the tops of both mountains.
Companhia Caminho Aéreo Pão de Açúcar began hosting seedling plantings on Monday and will continue through to Wednesday, June 3rd. The company plans to host environmental tours of the flora and fauna in the region. In 2012 the bondinho received the designation of Rótulo Ecológico ABNT, an eco-label that certifies the company’s service has reduced environmental impact.
Additionally for World Environment Day the Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente/SMAC (Municipal Department of Environment) will host activities at the Municipais Bosque da Barra e Marapendi, Jequiá APARU, and Ilha do Governador beginning Tuesday, June 2nd and running through Sunday, June 7th.
The SMAC activities will include lectures, exhibitions, environmental film screenings, eco-tours, educational games focused on the environment, and clean-up projects.