About the Conference

The UNESCO Global Geopark Caminhos dos Cânions do Sul is hosting the 7th Conference of the Latin America and Caribbean Geoparks Network (Red GeoLac), taking place from November 6 to 9, 2024. The event brings together specialists from different areas of Geoparks, providing a unique opportunity to share experiences, best practices, and strengthen network collaboration.

The main objective of the Conference is to provide a practical forum for collaboration and innovation, promoting the preservation of geological and cultural heritage, inspiring actions that facilitate knowledge exchange, and stimulating initiatives that promote sustainable development and global awareness.

The event also marks the 20th anniversary celebrations of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network (GGN).

REGISTER HERE:

Sign up to follow the program of lectures, panels, mini-courses, and exhibitions of scientific and educational works, which will take place at the Ulbra Campus in Torres.

Purchase your ticket for the commemorative dinner that will be held in the municipality of Praia Grande right after the opening ceremony.

Explore the options for field trips with visits to geosites and cultural activities in different municipalities of the Geopark. Secure your free registration now. Limited spaces available.

The UNESCO Global Geopark Caminhos dos Cânions do Sul is located in Southern Brazil and involves 7 municipalities in two states: Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Santa Catarina (SC). It comprises the cities of Torres, Cambará do Sul, and Mampituba (RS); Praia Grande, Jacinto Machado, Timbé do Sul, and Morro Grande (SC), with a total area of 2,830 km2 and about 78,000 inhabitants.

The region features the largest group of canyons in Latin America, originating from the breakup process of the supercontinent Gondwana and the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 250 million years ago. The canyons border the plateau and coastal plain, with height differences reaching up to 1000 meters and are less than 50 kilometers from the sea. In this scenery of singular beauty, there are also various paleocaves, shelters excavated by extinct animals that lived more than 10,000 years ago.

The Caminhos dos Cânions do Sul Geopark also reveals a rich cultural heritage, referring to indigenous, quilombola, and European immigrant cultures, as well as the notable tropeiro movement in the region.

CAMINHOS DOS
CÂNIONS
DO SUL

UNESCO
GLOBAL GEOPARK

Submission of Papers

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

Share your research or experience reports during the 7th Conference of the Latin America and Caribbean Geoparks Network.

The 7th RedGeoLaC Conference will only accept simple, one-page abstracts, which can be presented orally or in poster form. Submission of ongoing research, completed research, or experience reports is encouraged. Abstracts should represent the universe of research and experiences carried out in geoparks, related to the Global Geoparks Network, whether they are approved geoparks, aspiring geoparks, or projects.

Papers can be submitted in one of 9 thematic axes:

  1. Geoparks: investigation and conservation of their geodiversity and biodiversity;
  2. Appreciation and dissemination of Cultural Heritage;
  3. Sustainable Development Goals: experiences and challenges;
  4. Climate change and natural disasters: actions and challenges;
  5. Geoeducation and multidisciplinarity;
  6. Management strategy for Geotourism development;
  7. Management and governance in geoparks;
  8. Networking and innovation: alliances between local actors and between geoparks in promoting development;
  9. New proposals, projects, and aspiring geoparks

Guidelines for Oral Presentations

Oral presentations will take place on two days: 11/07/24, in the morning and afternoon, and 11/08/24, in the morning. The preliminary schedule will be available on the website soon;
Only one of the authors may present the paper;
The duration of each presentation is ten minutes, with no tolerance. It is important that presenters respect the time limit;
To assist in time management during presentations, there will be notices of remaining time;
There will be 5 minutes for questions between presentations and changeover;
Presentations must be in PDF format and saved on a mobile device (USB drive).

Guidelines for Poster Presentations

Posters will be presented during poster sessions, which will take place on 11/07/24 and 11/08/24 in the afternoon. The preliminary schedule will be available on the website soon;
Authors are responsible for the design and printing of the poster;
Authors can edit the poster as they wish, as long as the poster is self-explanatory;
The poster material can be paper or canvas, the important thing is to follow the recommended size (90x120cm);
There will be a specific location for fixing the posters, which will be indicated at the event;
Only one of the authors may present the work; during the poster session, this presenter should be next to the poster;
Each of the works will be presented to one of the Committee members.

Click below to download the suggested presentation template for poster (banner) and slides. Please note that the use of this template is not mandatory, and it is at the discretion of each author to define the best way to organize the visual identity of their work, as long as the presentations follow the guidelines recommended above.

Guidelines for Paper Presentations

SHORT COURSES / WORKSHOPS

On the morning of November 9th, concurrent with the field activities, 5 workshops/short courses will be offered to the participants of the Conference. The workshops will be held at ULBRA in Torres, the same location where the other Conference activities will take place.

Approved Workshops/Short Courses:

Activity Details
WORKSHOP - Popularization of Geoscience in Geoparks: a common workflow for digital outcrop modeling REGISTER HERE
SHORT COURSE - Structuring and implementing tourist trails REGISTER HERE
SHORT COURSE - Education in earth sciences: contributions to sustainability and the role of Geoparks REGISTER HERE
SHORT COURSE - Nature walks as a Rural Development strategy REGISTER HERE
SHORT COURSE - Solid Waste Management Zero Waste REGISTER HERE

Certificates will be issued to participants and facilitators. Registration is only allowed for one of the workshops, as they will take place synchronously and in-person. The workshops have a minimum and maximum number of participants. If the minimum number is not reached, the workshop will not be held, and facilitators/participants will be informed via email.

Registrations until October 14th! Don’t miss it!

In case of questions, please contact us at: resumos@conferenciageolac.com

HOW TO
GET THERE

Porto Alegre Airport (POA) – Rio Grande do Sul:

  • DUE TO FLOODS THAT OCCURRED IN APRIL AND MAY, PORTO ALEGRE AIRPORT IS CLOSED UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER. PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
  • From Porto Alegre Airport, follow BR-101 northbound
    Continue on BR-101 until you reach the city of Torres.
    Access other Geopark municipalities through intermunicipal highways from Torres
  • The distance between Porto Alegre Airport and Torres is approximately 200 km, and the trip will take about 3 hours by car.

 

Jaguaruna Regional South Airport (SBJA) – Humberto Ghizzo Bortoluzzi

  • From Jaguaruna Regional South Airport, follow BR-101 southbound
  • The distance between Jaguaruna Airport/SC and the Geopark municipalities is approximately 100 km, and the trip will take about 1h30min by car.

 

Canoas Airport (QNS) – Campo Nossa Senhora de Fátima

  • From Canoas Airport/RS, follow BR-101 northbound
  • The distance between Canoas Airport/RS and the Geopark municipalities is approximately 200 km, and the trip will take about 2h30min by car.

 

Florianópolis Airport (FLN) – Santa Catarina:

  • From Florianópolis Airport, follow BR-101 southbound.
    Continue on BR-101 until you reach the extreme south of the state
  • From BR-101, follow the intermunicipal highways to reach the municipalities of Morro Grande, Timbé do Sul, Jacinto Machado, Praia Grande, Mampituba and Cambará do Sul.
  • The distance between Florianópolis Airport and the Geopark municipalities is approximately 250 km, and the trip will take about 4 hours by car.

 

Remember to check road conditions, especially if you are traveling at night or during rainy seasons.