Navigating Knowledge: The School Boat and the Waterways as a Biocultural Corridor in the Pantanal of Mato GrossoPantanal. Fluvial transportation. Environmental perception. Students. Biocultural.
The displacement of students from home to school occurs in different ways across the Brazilian territory, varying according to geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions. In the riverside community of Estirão Comprido, located in the municipality of Barão de Melgaço, in the state of Mato Grosso, this journey takes place exclusively through river transportation. During this daily route, students directly experience and observe the biodiversity of the Mato Grosso Pantanal, establishing continuous relationships with the natural and sociocultural environment that surrounds them. Given this context, this research aimed to investigate the environmental perception of students from the Municipal School of Estirão Comprido based on their daily experiences with river transportation, understanding the river as a biocultural corridor that connects communities and promotes the exchange of knowledge. This study adopted a qualitative approach and used images of the river route obtained through the Geoter platform, which were employed as a triggering resource for students to produce illustrations. Data collection considered the activity of producing illustrations, the notes taken during the process, and the participation of students in collective discussions. The illustrations were analyzed and categorized based on the typology of environmental conceptions proposed by Sauvé (2005), which understands the environment as nature, resource, problem, system, a place to live, biosphere, and community project. Data analysis was carried out interpretatively, articulating the visual productions, written records, and the participants’ statements. The results were presented in a descriptive and analytical manner, accompanied by graphical representations, which made it possible to identify recurring patterns in the students’ environmental perceptions. The findings indicate that the river and river transportation are understood by the children not only as means of transportation but also as spaces for coexistence, observation of nature, and the construction of bonds with the territory. Conceptions of the environment associated with the place where one lives, nature, and system stood out, highlighting an integrated relationship between environment, culture, and everyday life. It is concluded that river transportation exerts a significant influence on children’s environmental perception, configuring itself as a biocultural corridor that articulates memories and sociocultural practices. By recognizing the river as an educational space, this research reinforces the importance of public policies and pedagogical practices that are sensitive to the territorial specificities of the Pantanal.