UM MAPA DE ORIENTAÇÃO AO VISITANTE EM AMBIENTES NATURAIS

cartografia para o lazer e turismo no Parque Natural Municipal de Nova Iguaçu, RJ

Abstract

As a result of rapid urbanization processes and the gradual reduction of green spaces in cities, natural environments are becoming increasingly valued by contemporary society, especially those related to social practices of leisure and tourism. In this context, the Nova Iguaçu Municipal Natural Park (PNMNI) is established as a full Conservation Unit open to visitors, offering various attractions such as water wells, waterfalls, viewpoints, birdwatching and trails. With this in mind, this article presents a theoretical-methodological proposal for the development of visitor orientation maps in natural environments. Grounded in a theoretical framework that addresses the fundamental aspects of a visitor orientation map (information medium, means of dissemination for individuals who may be unfamiliar with cartographic semantics) and the six graphic-cartographic elements that comprise a map for leisure and tourism (title, scale, legend, reference system, font, frame), a cartographic output was developed for the PNMNI in three distinct stages: study and representation of the park area, alongside the simultaneous development of three legends: general, tourist and a specific one for trails. Thus, this work, carried out in partnership between the Nova Iguaçu City Council and the Multidisciplinary Institute of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, culminates in the production of a thematic map that depicts the spatial elements present in the natural environment, specifically in parks, with the potential target audience being visitors in moments of leisure and tourism.