Eco Park Foz, a place to connect with nature and animals in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, is becoming increasingly popular with Iguaçu families and tourists. Visitation has grown by an average of 30% every semester since it opened in December 2022.
More than a 30,000 square meter attraction, Eco Park Foz offers what no other space in the city has. Adults and children watch the presentation of birds of prey (vultures, owls, hawks and falcons) using the ancient technique of Falconry. Training is fundamental to the birds' routine, stimulating natural behavior and helping to rehabilitate those that have been rescued from accidents or mistreatment.
At Fazendinha, families can have a controlled interaction with the animals, visit the Primate Forest (Brazil's first monkey immersion nursery) and watch a free training presentation with the Creole horses.
Eco Park Foz as a whole allows children to experience childhood freely on the playground, in the fountain and on the pedal boat. There's plenty of space for resting and picnics to help families connect.
From dream to reality
Eco Park Foz's growth, both in terms of visitor numbers and structure, thrills founding partner Leandro Mautone, who is always on the lookout to monitor the park's day-to-day activities.
After learning about falconry during a stay in Italy and working in renowned institutions such as the Oltremare Park and the Genoa Aquarium, Mautone decided to offer people the opportunity to learn about this ancient technique when he returned to Brazil in 2019.
In Foz do Iguaçu, he rented a 1,000 square meter space together with three biologists (Bruno Nogueira, Larissa Vascocelos and Anna Cecília) and started doing environmental education using Falconry with birds of prey.
Soon after, he created the Falconry Center and opened it to visitors. "It was a very difficult period. I paid the staff and then borrowed money from them. Despite the difficulty, I had a dream of creating a space for families to connect with each other and with nature," she said with a smile on her face.
According to Mautone, some friends called him crazy and a dreamer. He even thought about giving up a few times, but persisted. "I was criticized a lot. Despite our efforts, there were days when no one entered the Falconry Center," he recalled.
In 2022, he was invited to join the Dreams Group, as part of the company's expanding mission. "In December 2022 we opened Eco Park Foz. We had a bigger space and experience, but our structure was still small. Only the purpose was really big," he recalled.
It is no longer just a center for the treatment and rehabilitation of birds of prey and the promotion of falconry, but an institution dedicated to telling the story of humanity's relationship with animals.
Little by little, with the dedication of the team and a unique project in the city, Eco Park Foz expanded its structure and gained more visitors. The team has also grown. From four, today there are more than 40 professionals directly or indirectly involved.
"When I remember how we started the Falconry Center and how we are today, I believe it was worth all the effort and so many hardships," he said. He added: "And we will continue. There's still a lot more to be built here".
Environmental Education
Mautone can be thrilled and grateful, because those who visit Eco Park Foz want to return and praise both the structure and the staff. In fact, locals and tourists look forward to the environmental education activities on offer during the holidays.
During these periods, the children take part in educational workshops on topics related to caring for animals and nature.
The first Summer Camp, for example, where boys and girls had the opportunity to experience being mini vets, biologists and falconers, exceeded expectations.
Nine-year-old Celeste Agostina took part in the four days of activities. "I love coming to Eco Park. I loved being close to the capybaras, feeding the monkeys and rabbits. I feel safe here. If it's on again, I want to come again," she said.
Judite Su took her children Matias, six, and Priscila, seven, to spend Sunday at Eco Park Foz. "We like this place. I've always been afraid of birds, but I want to teach my children to connect with them. And here it's possible for people and animals to live together in harmony," she said.
Eco Park Foz is located on the Cataratas Highway, right next to the Dreams Park Show Complex, less than 15 minutes from the center of Foz do Iguaçu. It is open daily from 9am to 5pm.
