Children Discovering Urban Wildlife: A Community Environmental Education Experience in a Buffer Zone of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

This report describes a community-based environmental education initiative carried out in Camaragibe, Pernambuco, within the buffer zone of the Aldeia-Beberibe Environmental Protection Area, in the Atlantic Forest biome. The “Bichos da APA” project aimed to raise ecological awareness among children and families through the distribution of illustrated pamphlets about local wildlife and on-site dialogues in a public square. Grounded in critical environmental education, Freirean pedagogy, and socio-environmental justice, the intervention adopted a qualitative approach and participant observation. The results indicated that simple, contextualized, and affective actions can promote reconnection with urban biodiversity, generate reflections on territorial belonging, and encourage environmental care practices. The experience also revealed knowledge gaps and ecological invisibility in peripheral communities, highlighting the importance of socio-environmental educommunication strategies to enhance community engagement and the appreciation of local fauna.