RESERVA EXTRATIVISTA QUILOMBO DO FLEXAL

Mirinzal, Maranhão

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Description

The Extractive Reserve Quilombo do Flexal, also widely referred to as Quilombo do Frechal, is a Federal Conservation Unit for Sustainable Use located in the municipality of Mirinzal, in the Baixada Maranhense. Established on May 20, 1992, the reserve currently covers 9,338.31 hectares according to ICMBio and is fully integrated into the Amazon Biome. Its creation aimed to reconcile environmental conservation with the protection of the territory, culture, and ways of life of traditional quilombola communities. The landscape of the unit is primarily composed of secondary vegetation, natural fields, watercourses, and palm groves, highlighting species such as babaçu and juçara (açaí). These environments are directly linked to the traditional activities carried out by the communities, such as subsistence agriculture, plant extraction, and small-scale animal husbandry. In addition to its ecological importance, the RESEX holds great historical, cultural, and anthropological value, related to the resistance and organization of quilombola communities for the recognition and maintenance of their traditional territory. The villages of Frechal, Rumo, and Deserto are part of this territory and preserve practices, knowledge, and cultural expressions passed down through generations. For visitors, the region presents potential for community-based tourism, environmental education, landscape interpretation, appreciation of quilombola culture, and contact with the natural environments of the Baixada Maranhense, always respecting the communities, their traditional use areas, and the rules established by ICMBio and the Deliberative Council of the reserve.