The Serra do Japi Foundation, in partnership with the City Hall of Jundiaí, announced this week its intention to resume the project to regulate the Park Roads in the Serra do Japi, an initiative aimed at integrating environmental preservation with sustainable ecotourism.
The proposal involves implementing routes with usage restrictions in the Serra do Japi Management Territory, aimed at protecting local biodiversity and promoting responsible tourism.
The project encompasses the Santa Clara, Terra Nova, Paiol Velho, Laranja Azeda, José Luiz Sereno, and Malota roads.
According to Flávio Gramolelli Júnior, superintendent of the Serra do Japi Foundation, technical studies will be conducted to assess the impacts and benefits of usage restrictions in these areas.
“The focus is on ensuring the preservation of ecosystems while offering a sustainable alternative for rural neighborhoods,” he explained.
The Park Road concept proposes an “open-air museum,” as described by the Foundation’s technical director, Wagner de Paiva.
The proposal includes educational signage, identifying properties suitable for ecotourism, and controlling the flow of visitors.
“We want to reduce the vulnerability of wildlife by allowing conscious access to the preserved areas of Serra do Japi,” Paiva emphasized.

Project Background
The discussion on Park Roads in the Serra do Japi began over a decade ago.
Studies for regulation were initiated in 2018, and the following year, the Department of Environment presented a draft decree to the Serra do Japi Management Council, proposing the first Park Road in the Santa Clara neighborhood.
At the time, Wagner de Paiva justified the need for the project by stating that the area between Santa Clara and the Morangaba Waterfall is environmentally rich and in need of protection.
In 2019, Vânia Plaza Nunes, the Foundation’s superintendent at the time, emphasized that the Park Road would be essential for controlling access and preserving the bioma.
However, the project’s progress faced challenges. During a 2021 meeting of the Serra do Japi Management Council, councilors reported that, until that moment, there was no structured project, only preliminary surveys.
The House of the Conserveiro
A symbol of environmental preservation and Jundiaí’s historical heritage, the House of the Conserveiro, located in the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve, has returned to the spotlight.
Originally built to house the conserveiros (road workers) who maintained the roads in the Serra, the house was restored in 2015 under the administration of then-mayor Pedro Bigardi, with support from the Serra do Japi monitors. However, in recent years, the site has remained closed and without proper maintenance.

Used for decades by families of conserveiros who maintained the roads and trails in the Serra, the house dates back to a period before the mechanization of conservation work.
“The conserveiros lived there with their families and took care of the roads. It was a life dedicated to the Serra,” recalled Osmar Francisco da Silva, a Serra do Japi monitor since 2001.
The 2015 restoration transformed the space into a support point for environmental education activities, with exhibitions, historical maps, research materials, and common areas.
“We restored the house with our own resources, painted it, fixed the roof, and got everything in order to receive schools and visitor groups,” explained Osmar.
The house also served as logistical support for the Municipal Guard and maintenance teams during activities in the reserve. However, during Luiz Fernando Machado’s eight years in office, the House of the Conserveiro remained closed and unused, according to Osmar.
“The place was abandoned, returning to the poor condition it was in before the renovation,” he lamented.
Inspection and current Situation
Last week, a technical inspection was conducted in Serra do Japi, with participation from councilor Henrique Parra Parra (PSOL-Movimento Cardume), members of the Coletivo Japy, and Flávio Gramolelli Júnior, superintendent of the Serra do Japi Foundation.

During the inspection, issues were raised about the management of the reserve and the need to reactivate the House of the Conserveiro.
“The goal of the inspection was to identify critical points and demand urgent actions, such as repairs on the house, organization of guided trails, and control of the invasion of exotic species, like bamboo,” said councilor Henrique Parra Parra.
Juliana Oliveira, president of the Coletivo Japy, highlighted the importance of the House of the Conserveiro as an environmental education hub.
“The reactivation of the House of the Conserveiro, for example, was one of the points raised that day. It could function as an important Environmental Education center within the Biological Reserve, contributing to raise societal awareness and further stimulating scientific studies,” said Juliana.
However, the president of the Coletivo Japy emphasized that conservation, unlike preservation, requires minimal human intervention.
“So, the Biological Reserve section must be carefully planned and structured, always thinking first about ecological balance,” explained Juliana.
Juliana concluded by stressing the Coletivo Japy’s commitment to socio-environmental preservation:
“The Coletivo Japy has a very strong socio-environmental commitment to Jundiaí and the surrounding region, and we will continue, as we have always done, to monitor these issues as a social movement.”
The future of the House of the Conserveiro
In addition to its historical relevance, the House of the Conserveiro is located in an area of great environmental importance: it is where the Córrego do Chá stream originates, the first water source that supplied Jundiaí in the early 20th century.
“The space has unique value, both as cultural heritage and as a center for environmental preservation,” emphasized monitor Osmar.
The return of activities at the House of the Conserveiro could strengthen guided visitation and environmental education programs, which continue to take place in the reserve.
“We have a structure there that can be enhanced to raise public awareness about the need for conservation and preservation,” said Juliana Oliveira.
Despite recent neglect, the Serra do Japi Foundation intends to reverse the situation.
“We are committed to recovering the House of the Conserveiro, turning it into an active environmental education space once again,” said Flávio Gramolelli Júnior, the foundation’s superintendent.

Serra do Japi
Serra do Japi covers an area of 354 square kilometers and was listed as a protected area by the São Paulo State Council for the Defense of Historical, Artistic, Archaeological, and Tourist Heritage (Condephaat) on March 8, 1983.
The listing resulted from initiatives by the Municipal Public Administration, the work of geographer Aziz Ab’Saber, and the mobilization of the local population, especially in Jundiaí.
Located in four municipalities: Jundiaí, Pirapora do Bom Jesus, Cajamar, and Cabreúva, in 1992, the area was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage site and declared a biosphere reserve.