PARQUE ESTADUAL DO SITIO DO RANGEDOR
Description
The State Park of Sítio do Rangedor is a State Conservation Unit of Integral Protection located in São Luís, Maranhão, in one of the most urbanized areas of the capital. The area was originally created as the Ecological Station of Sítio do Rangedor by State Decree No. 21,797, on December 15, 2005, and later reclassified as a State Park by Law No. 10,455, on May 16, 2016. According to the Ecological-Economic Zoning of Maranhão, it has a reference area of approximately 125.65 hectares and is part of the Amazon Biome. The park protects an important remnant of Amazon Rainforest in an urban environment, formed by secondary vegetation in different stages of ecological succession. This forest fragment serves as a refuge for wildlife, contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity, and plays a role in thermal regulation, water infiltration, and protection of underground recharge areas, performing an important environmental function amid the urban growth of São Luís. The fauna includes a significant diversity of birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and invertebrates, which can be observed in the natural remnants of the unit. The Management Plan also highlights ecological trails as attractions for contemplating the vegetation, observing wildlife, and interpreting the natural characteristics of the landscape. In addition to environmental conservation, Rangedor has become one of the main public spaces for contact with nature in São Luís. The area designated for visitation features a walking path and bike lane of about 3.5 km, squares, sports equipment, playgrounds, picnic areas, a lookout point, and a butterfly garden, enabling leisure, sports, tourism, and environmental education activities. More than 90% of the area is maintained with protected vegetation, while public use structures have been implemented mainly in previously degraded areas. Thus, the State Park of Sítio do Rangedor represents an important connection between biodiversity conservation, environmental education, leisure, and quality of life, offering visitors the opportunity to experience a fragment of the Maranhão Amazon in the urban space of the capital.
Additional Information
- Total Area - 1,22km²
