The celebration of the National Cerrado Day at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Goiás (IFG)

Abstract

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome, covering 22.65% of the national territory, considering its continuous area. The geographic space occupied by the biome plays a fundamental role in the process of distribution of water resources across the country, constituting the place of origin of the great hydrographic regions of Brazil and the South American continent. Biologically, the Cerrado is the most biodiverse savannah on the planet. Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, even peasant diversity, make up a mosaic of knowledge that can be inserted into the Cerrado diversity framework. This biome is decisive for the formation of the identity of the population of Central Brazil. The degradation of Cerrado areas is relatively recent. Numerous species of plants and animals are threatened or at risk of extinction, making the biome one of the hotspots of planetary biodiversity. National Cerrado Day is celebrated annually on September 11, pursuant to a Presidential Decree, and was created with the aim of making the community aware of the importance of preserving the biome. The extension action (event) called “IFG National Cerrado Day” started with a local event held at the Águas Lindas Campus, in 2016, reaching the size of a national event, now in 2022, the “Integrated Cerrado Week”. We understand that commemoration of this date should be institutionalized, as are the Games of the Federal Institute (JIF), the Festival of Arts and the Meeting of Black Cultures.