Propuesta de interpretación ambiental de los sitios de interés paisajístico con participación comunitaria en la inspección La Esperanza del municipio de la Mesa (Cundinamarca)

Abstract

La Esperanza Inspection is located in La Mesa Municipality in Cundinamarca Department and has been recognized at regional level as a tourism zone by some attractions, specifically The Ecological Park Salto de las Monjas; however the tourism that has been made in that place is messy and mostly inhabitants feel unsatisfied. By the above, the Inspection sites of natural interest were characterized in order to propose one environmental interpretation trail with community participation. At first, the landscape of the study area was characterized according to its visual quality and aesthetic potential wherewith the index beauty of the landscape was evaluated. As well as the evaluation of the interpretive potential areas of interest from the resource inventory sheets and tourism carrying capacity.

It was found that the trail is immersed in a landscape with a high aesthetic potential due to the interaction of biophysical and architectural components; likewise it has a high visual quality, with unique and outstanding features including the body of water from Salto de las Monjas, with a final high index beauty as a result of the evaluated attractive features scenic, Visual scale, level of interest, Scenic Integrity, Discordant Elements and Correspondence Chromatic. Along the trail, which has a length of 1,766 m, it was identify three sites of historical importance and natural tourism: La Esperanza Railway Station, Las Monjas Farm and El Salto de las Monjas Waterfall. The physical carrying capacity was also determined in 10.596 Visitors/day, a real carrying capacity of 1.353 Visitors/day and an effective carrying capacity of 2 Visitors/day.

To generate the final environmental interpretation proposal of the trail, it was possible to count with the participation of the community in the activities of social cartography, semi-structured interviews, educational workshops and surveys that were directed to the place visitors with emphasis in the information which have to be transmit to the visitors and the way in which this must be delivered to them through visual media and oral communication, getting as product the Interpretive design of place.