ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION AND THE PRACTICES OF THE LEISURE IN CONTACT WITH THE NATURE IN THE CANTAREIRA STATE PARK – NUCLEUS PEDRA GRANDE, SÃO PAULO (SP).

Abstract

Due to the growth of cities, the natural environment is scarce in this type of landscape. Because of this, the townsman is not used to live in their daily life, experiences in the nature. The objective of this paper is to analyze the visitors of the Cantareira State Park – Núcleo Pedra Grande, situated in the north of the city of São Paulo, identifying in their leisure time the interactions and discoveries in contact with an atypical landscape of their daily lives. The methodology of research used was the phenomenology, which provides a deeper study of the perceptions of visitors. The research shows that visitors consider the Park an patrimony in the city of São Paulo and the functions of leisure named “repose” and “development” was the most frequently finded. Key-words: Leisure. Environmental perception. Environment. Landscape valuation. Protected areas. Phenomenology.