Proposal for Environmental Interpretation at the Santa Barbara Chapel (Ponta Grossa, PR)

THIS WORK AIMS TO SHOW THE POSSIBILITIES OF USING ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION AT THE SANTA BARBARA CHAPEL (PONTA GROSSA, STATE OF PARANÁ). THIS CHAPEL, BUILT IN 1823, WAS LISTED IN 2000 BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE, HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING RESIDENTS, DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT. TO THIS END, WE SOUGHT TO ANALYSIS ITS POTENTIAL STATUS AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION; TO VERIFY THE APPLICATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION; AND TO SUGGEST ACTIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION THAT CAN BE PERFORMED IN RELATION TO THE HERITAGE, FOCUSING ON THE APPRECIATION OF ITS HISTORY. THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK DEFINES THE CONCEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION AND ITS TOOLS, AND ADDRESSES THE HISTORY OF THE CHAPEL AND THE SAINT WHOSE NAME IT CARRIES. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH WAS USED TO COMPILE DATA, USING DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH AND DIRECT OBSERVATION IN ON-SITE FIELDWORK. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION AT THE SANTA BARBARA CHAPEL WAS VERIFIED, WHETHER TO TRANSMIT BASIC AND HISTORICAL INFORMATION THROUGH AN INTERPRETATIVE PANEL, OR THROUGH THE EXPANSION OF THE EXPERIENCE THROUGH A PROPERTY -GUIDED NARRATIVE, FOR EXAMPLE. Aceito 12/Mai/2019 Publicado 10/Dez/2019 a Student on the Bachelor’s degree Program in Tourism of UEPG. Email:beatrizbueno963@gmail.com b Professor of the Department of Tourism (DETUR/UEPG) and the Postgraduate Program in Applied Social Sciences (PPGCSA/UEPG) of UEPG. Email: mirnadelimamedeiros@gmail.com c Student on the Bachelor’s degree Program in Tourism of UEPG. Email: silvielen.lara@gmail.com d Student on the Bachelor’s degree Program in Tourism of UEPG. Email: edudsouza0@gmail.com DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14210/at.v4n3.p20-31 KEYWORDS

go with a guide, because without the historical information, it's not even worth going, because it is a small building that has a lot of meaning in the history of the municipality. " Thus, the research question of this paper was: How could environmental interpretation be implemented at the Santa Barbara Chapel? and the overall objective of this paper was: to discuss how environmental interpretation could be implemented in the Santa Barbara Chapel. To this end, the following objectives were set: to analyze its potential status as a tourist attraction through a diagnosis; to verify the applications of environmental interpretation; and to suggest actions of environmental interpretation that can be performed in relation the heritage, focusing on the appreciation of its history.
The research is justified through its important interface with the community. Although we do not propose to carry out any actions (which require resources), this analysis of the improvements needed to enhance and preserve the space, increasing its quality and attractiveness, may be useful for public and private managers. This study also promotes the preservation of the history of the first chapel to be built in Ponta Grossa, and suggests an interpretation focused on heritage as a means of enhancing its perception of value.
The article begins with the theoretical framework, showing how the authors define environmental interpretation. It then goes on to present the topic of interpretation focused on heritage, and the necessary tools for the interpretation, followed by the methodology used.
The results and discussions section presents the characterization of the study site and the history of the Santa Barbara Chapel and the Saint to which it is dedicated. It also presents site diagnostics and suggestions for interpretation tools that could be used on the property. At the end, some final considerations are given, and references used are listed.

Environmental Interpretation & Tourism
Karina Souza (2010) mentions that Tilden (1977) was the first to express the concept of environmental interpretation. According to Freeman Tilden (2006, p.19 apud Souza, 2010) it is "an activity of an essentially educational character, but less erudite and scientific".
Environmental interpretation is defined as an educational activity with thematic, organized, meaningful, provocative, differentiated and pleasant characteristics (Ambiental, 2002).
For Tilden (1977, apud Ambiental, 2002 there are two concepts for interpretation: "The first of these is for the interpreter himself and the second for contact with his audience. The concept for the interpreter says, "interpretation is the revelation of a great truth that lurks behind simple manifestations." The second, for his contact with his audience, states, "interpretation must capitalize on the visitor's simple curiosity for the enrichment of his mind and spirit." For Siqueira (2004), who focuses specifically on ecotourism trails, environmental interpretation, besides being a flexible educational technique, seeks to convey information to a certain audience through an appropriate and easily understood language. Also according to the author, it can also bring understanding about anthropic phenomena and their interactions with natu-Applied Tourism ISSN: 2448-3524 https://siaiap32.univali.br/seer/index.php/ijth/index ral environments. Moreira (2014, p. 78), who also deals with natural areas, considers environmental interpretation to be "a part of environmental education, being the term used to describe the activities of a communication made for a better understanding of the natural environment in protected areas. " It serves as an important tool for transmitting to visitors experiences of direct contact with nature, and making them aware of environmental issues (Silva & Júnior, 2010). Chaverri (1988apud UNIT, 2005 broadens this definition of interpretation by pointing out that it can be understood as art, and at the same time, as a form of human communication that explains to the visitor the characteristics of the environment. It can refer not only to the natural environment but also so be applied to museums and historic cities, for example. Environmental interpretation is related to the experiences that tourists have when visiting that place. Complementing Tilden (1977apud Environmental, 2002, it is pointed out that interpretation is an educational activity that shows, through the use of objects, the direct relationship with resources and illustrative means, instead of transmitting information in its full sense. It should be noted that environmental interpretation and environmental education are distinct concepts. According to Medeiros (2018), environmental education aims to rescue certain educational values and objectives in order to value environmental knowledge (in formal, non-formal or informal spaces of education) and can be considered as a political, pedagogical and scientific movement aimed at educational reform.
Given the above, it is understood that the authors have similar views on the definition of environmental interpretation, and that this tool can be applied to both natural and man-made areas. Thus, it may be present in a built heritage, as a way of interpreting the heritage.
According to the Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN, 2014), heritage is defined as: "A set of movable and immovable property existing in the country and whose conservation is of public inte-rest, either because of its link to memorable facts of the history of Brazil, or for its exceptional archaeological or ethnographic, bibliographic or artistic value." IPHAN links the cultural heritage with the history of the place, whether it is associated with parents, grandparents, or even earlier than that. It should be important to many people, as a place that many find relevant, a shared history or a building (Florêncio, 2016). In view of this, the interpretation of heritage adds value to the tourist experience, stimulating the environmental appreciation through the available information, highlighting the history of the heritage and causing the visitor to no longer be a stranger and at that moment of the visit, feel that he or she is part of the place (Murta & Albano, 2002). In addition to "investigating, restoring, conserving and interpreting heritage, it is sometimes necessary to resort to other strategies that facilitate tourism." And with that, increase its attractiveness and turn heritage into a product (Biesek, 2004, p. 47).
According to Delgado (2013, p. 319) heritage interpretation is an "instrument for introducing criteria of environmental quality and sustainability in tourism planning". Tilden (2006, p. 119 apud Delgado, 2013 argues that: "It is essential that in the context of interpretation, participation is physical. If you try to include everything that is completely or predominantly mental, the words begin to lose their meaning.
Not only must it imply a physical act, it must also be something that the participant himself considers new, special and important to himself".
According to Vasconcellos (1998)   Thus, interpretation helps enrich this visitor's involvement with the heritage, and provided with the necessary tools, the tourist can assimilate and expand his or her knowledge in relation to the visited environment.
In the following section, we present the methodological choices used for this discussion in relation to the Santa Barbara Chapel in Ponta Grossa, Paraná.

Metodology
In terms of methodology, this is a descriptive and qualitative study. According to Fontelles et al. (2009), descriptive research only observes, describes and records a particular fact or sample, while the qualitative approach describes, compares and interprets without considering numerical data.
In the elaboration of the theoretical framework, some of the information was obtained through articles published on the internet, using the search engines Scielo For the environmental interpretation of the heritage to occur easily, means are needed to facilitate the process, mitigate the impacts caused by visitors, and increase their awareness of its importance. According to Ambiental (2002, p. 52), the chosen tools should be consistent with the general planning of the property.
There are several types of instruments used in environmental interpretation. Table 1 shows some of the tools that exist, and that are currently used in parks, protected areas, and built heritage sites. These tools can be used alone or in combination, and each has their own characteristics and costs to be considered in the decision-making process.
Source: Elaborated based on Ambiental (2002)  The use of signboards, panels, and stationary texts is mostly used on trails, but they can also be used to cost-effectively convey information to visitors. For Murta & Albano (2002) placing a "welcome" sign pleases visitors as they enter.
Lobbies The lobby also serves as an instrument for environmental interpretation, because this is where the tourist comes into contact with the place visited. In this space, the story and the importance of the property can be told. It should be well designed so that everyone has access and is well re-

Signs
The use of signs is important for visitors, Barbara is invoked in lightning and thunderstorms, and is the patron saint of artillerymen, miners, and those who work with explosives (Tommasi, 2003).
There are indications that in 1728, there was an oratory on the site, and a chapel was later built there (Fernandes, 2003 For the data collection, primary and secondary data were sought. According to Fontelles et al. (2009), primary data are "sources whose origin dates back to the time of research, not yet analyzed, such as literary texts and documents", and secondary data are "sources whose written works are based on the primary source, such as analysis, expansion and comparison of information". Secondary data were obtained by documentary analysis, conducting research at the "Casa da Memoria" and the Campos Gerais Museum, and for the primary data, on-site observation was used.
According to Zanelli (2002), observation situates the researcher in the scenario, leading him or her to understand the complexity of the environment and thus, allowing a more competent dialogue. In the preparation of the diagnosis, a field research was carried out in July 2018, to obtain information and images of the place and the property, as well as the route to the place.
Taking into account the aspects observed in the diagnostic data, and based on the theoretical framework, some possibilities were proposed that could be implemented at the Santa Barbara Chapel.

Results and discussion
About the study site The history of the Santa Barbara Chapel begins in the colonial period, in 1704, when those who offered to "serve the King and the Crown" could acquire land in the region, provided they used it for cattle farming.
Captain General Pedro Taques de Almeida obtained land for himself and his children that extended from the "Jaguaricatu and Lapó rivers and the stops they called Itaiacoca" (Holzmann, 1975).  According to Holzmann (1975, p. 17), the chapel was built in 1823: "The Jesuits had already built a chapel on the same site, beside a small stream called Legeadinho.
It was a crude wooden house, next to an open shelter, covered with shingles, which gave it the name "House of Tiles". Here, the Jesuit missionaries would met with passing travelers or residents of the neighborhood, as this is "Casa da Telha", the closest point to the Santa Barbara chapel, on the Pitangui farm." According to Chamma (2007, p. 48 (Holzmann, 1975). With the property confiscated by the Crown, Pitangui Farm was vacated, being left without slaves, animals and plantations (Fernandes, 2003). According to Fernandes (2003) in 1798, the person in charge of the interests of the Crown in the Pitangui Farm was Corporal Francisco Pedroso de Abreu.
According to Chamma (2007, p. 49), the Jesuits in the region came to free the employees who worked on the farm, and took the opportunity to take the hidden riches. "Today it is proven that the religious obtained a lot of gold and diamonds in this region and at certain points on the Tibagi River, for this reason, for a long time, people were boring holes around the Santa Barbara chapel, its walls and the ground where the temple is built" (Chamma, 2007, p. 49 (Holzmann, 1975). For Chamma (2007), with the arrival of the Bandeirantes, the region of Campos Gerais became known, and with the arrival of the drovers, routes were opened that marked the start of the village. The drovers who passed here continued on to Carambeí, Tronco and Lageado. (Holzmann, 1975 (Holzmann, 1975).
At the same time, the residents wanted the region to be elevated to a parish, for which Domingos Ferreira Pinto, Miguel Ferreira Carvalhais and others, signed a petition making demands such as: the number of residents ; a walled chapel; a stipend for the parish priests; etc. To remedy the lack of a chapel, the altar of Sant'Ana was moved to the "Tile House" that served as a landing place for the drovers. Once these demands had been met, a new petition was sent out, and on September 15, 1823, Ponta Grossa near Jaguariaíva became a parish. (Holzmann, 1975).
Pitangui Farm, which currently belongs to the Carraro family, is a private property where the chapel and the family's other businesses are located (Figure 2). It is 500 bushels in size (Polon & Santos, 2005). To reach the chapel, one must use the Arichernes Carlos Gobbo There is also the pulpit, an old, worn bell, two carved wooden fonts, and an image of Saint Barbara, as described by Oliveira (1963).
On the walls, we can see the first structure before the renovation, carried out in 1973 by Nestor Carraro to help preserve the building, a wooden wall was made, which no longer exists, both in front and behind the chapel, and a new floor was laid, as the old one was in poor condition (Ponta Grossa, 2011). According to Chamma (2007) (Figure 7), the ceiling arch paint along with the wooden floor is in good condition, but the paint on the walls, both outside and inside, is badly deteriorated, as shown in figure 8.
As you walk along a dirt path on the left at the entrance, you can look at the old wall that is still standing, but with a sign warning of the danger of approaching it.
Outside the chapel there are garbage cans, benches, lamps, signs, a lamppost and a small courtyard with a stone pavement and trimmed grass. Behind the chapel there are some trees and a large space with tall grass, surrounded by a wire fence.

Possibilities of Environmental Interpretation at the Santa Barbara Chapel
Environmental interpretation can be considered as a tool to promote understanding the space when visiting a heritage site, whether a building or a conservation unit. As Delgado (2013, p. 302) points out, interpretation of heritage should be "a planned and conscious way of directing messages, designed to give people significant knowledge about their heritage so that they become its protectors and defenders." Although there is an informative panel ( (2002) state that in a humid climate, signs made from wood or steel signs suffer from rotting or corrosion.

Practical Implications of the Research
In the tourism literature, interpretation is usually related to educational tourism, predominantly in the natural environment. However, it can also be harnessed to make the experience more interesting (and memorable) and can be applied in many different fields.
The case studied in this research is a religious cultural heritage and is also inserted in a rural environment.
Suggestions were presented for the application of both internal and external interpretation of the building and surrounding area. As the construction is relatively simple, telling its story and its importance in an instructive and pleasurable way could motivate tourists and residents to visit the chapel.
It is emphasized that the knowledge passed on can also help promote its preservation and valorization. Discussions about the chapel would help others seeking to learn how environmental interpretation can  Source: Research Data (2018) Applied Tourism ISSN: 2448-3524 https://siaiap32.univali.br/seer/index.php/ijth/index be used at a religious heritage site, or other type of property with tourism potential. They would also encouraging the implementation of interpretation tools in practice, to be carried out with the support of research to examine the costs, visual impact, and other aspects.

Final Considerations
The overall objective of this work is to discuss the potential use of environmental interpretation at the Santa Barbara Chapel. Its specific objectives are: to carry out a feasibility study of the site as a tourist attraction; to verify the applications of environmental interpretation; and to suggest actions of environmental interpretation that can be performed at the site, focusing on the appreciation of its history. This study was developed through bibliographic research, document analysis, diagnosis through observation, proposals resulting from this observation, and the use of other authors as theoretical background.
Several tools for environmental interpretation were found to be practicable for use in and around the chapel. It is concluded that environmental interpretation at the Santa Barbara Chapel could enhance its potential and leverage the visitors' experience. It could also contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the local history.
In addition to the use of environmental interpretation, the chapel could be advertised by the project "Conhecendo PG", which makes trips for schools and institutions to various attractions of the city. Besides being free of charge, it would bring benefits on both sides, both for the chapel, by publicizing it more, and for the visitors, due to its cultural value. However, a feasibility study would be needed, looking at distances visitors would need to travel between sites to see whether it can be included in the itineraries.
As a limitation of the research, it is pointed out that no cost analysis of the proposed changes was carried out to determine their feasibility. This could be a theme for future studies, examining the investments needed to apply the interpretation tools in this environment. Ano-ther suggestion would be a survey of the demand, to gauge interest in the chapel among residents and tourists, and how this could be improved by installing the interpretation tools.