Monte Alegre State Park Watch Day

This past fall, Monte Alegre State Park (PEMA), a 2022 World Monuments Watch Site, celebrated Watch Day organized by Plataforma CIPÓ and local archaeologists. Watch Day is a series of celebratory events organized by local communities at Watch sites.

Located on the north bank of the Amazon in the Brazilian state of Pará, the park is home to one of the largest and oldest concentrations of rock art in the Amazon basin, which was first occupied by humans around 12,000 years ago.

During Monte Alegre's Watch Day, children from the neighboring Park, Lages, Santana, and Ererê communities participated in a series of activities to promote PEMA’s archaeological heritage. They joined arts workshops and cultural performances, and there was also a guided tour of Serra da Lua, one of the area’s most iconic sites.

The event was focused on raising awareness of the importance of the site’s cultural heritage and its relevance for the local community. The challenges of increasing tourism to the area, preserving the park, and conserving its archaeological elements in the face of forest degradation, vandalism, and climate change were also highlighted during the event. As CIPÓ’s Senior Researcher, Flávia do Amaral Vieira, stated during the event, “through a strong management plan for the site, we will be able to boost tourism and the creative economy in the region.”

The 2022 World Monuments Watch seeks to support all local efforts to improve the protection of Monte Alegre State Park and secure benefits for the surrounding communities. The event was attended by more than 100 people.

Photos: Kevin Gonzales – M’boia.