The Namche Conference: May 24-26, 2003 People, Park, and Mountain Ecotourism Participants and Presentations: Mr. Milton Dines

Mr. Milton Dines (São Paulo, Brazil); email: mdines@uol.com.br Abstract Volunteer work: a gateway for stakeholder's compromise with parks in Brazil Parks in Brazil has suffered a long period of poor and uncompromissed ofiical management. This situation changed in the last years, and parks managers, as well as the visiting public, are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of satekeholders engagement with parks management. The main innitiative for volunteering in parks, however, is a broad innitiative of NGOs and organized groups as mountaineering clubs and associations. This paper will present the volunteering work of the São Paulo State Mountaineering Federation with Itatiaia National Park, situated at Mantiqueira Range, one of the highest mountain ranges in Brazil. Mountaineers work is focused at public education for minimum impact practics and skills, and park staff training with mountaineering skills and visitor management.

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