Revision of Recreation and Leisure Practicum

In a 1-ha plot divided into 100 subplots of 10 x 10 m, all trees with at least 15 cm of perimeter at breast height (DBH = 4.8 cm) were marked and had their heights estimated and perimeter taken. The rock cover (rocks over 50 cm diameter) was estimated in five classes of frequency, and records were made for individuals growing directly on rocks. We found 1,274 trees matching the sampling criteria, which belong to 41 botanical families (highlighting Myrtaceae, Rubiaceae and Fabaceae) and 142 species or morphotypes. The most important (Importance Value Index) species are: Euterpe edulis, Mollinedia schottiana, Bathysa mendoncaei, Coussarea accedens, Rustia formosa and Guapira opposita. Shannon's diversity index was 4.05 nats/ind and Pielou's equability was 0.82. The average tree height is of 9 m and the canopy is at around 18 m. The trees' average diameter is 13.9 cm, and 29 individuals surpass 50 cm DBH. The basal area for the I-ha plot (live trees only) is 30.27 m(2). A direct relation was found between rock cover and lesser species richness and number of individuals per subplot. No relationship was found between rock cover and the mean height or mean diameter of stems in the subplots. 34 tree species in this area are able to grow on rocks; 11 of which do not grow roots to the soil, particularly Euterpe edulis and Guapira opposita. The height and diameter of the individuals that grow on rocks is not statistically different from the remaining in the plot

Are our beaches safe? Quantifying the human health impact of anthropogenic beach litter on people in New Zealand

The environmental, social and cultural importance of beaches permeates human society, yet the risk of human injury associated with increasing exposure to anthropogenic beach litter remains an unknown. While the impact of marine debris and beach litter on marine and coastal fauna and flora is a widely reported global issue, we investigate the impact on human health in New Zealand. Anthropogenic beach litter is ubiquitous, few beaches remain pristine, which consequently influences tourist choices and potentially negatively interacts with humans. Human impacts are not well-investigated, with no quantitative studies of impact but many studies qualitatively inferring impact. New Zealand has a socialised medical system allowing a quantitative, decadal assessment of medical insurance claims to determine patterns and trends across ecosystems and causes. We demonstrate for the first time that anthropogenic beach litter poses a common and pervasive exposure hazard to all ages, with specific risk posed to young children. The New Zealand system allows these hazards to be investigated to determine the true effects and costs across a nation, providing an evidence base for decision-makers to address this ubiquitous environmental issue

Examinando o desenho infantil como recurso terapêutico para o desenvolvimento de linguagem de crianças surdas Examining children's drawing as a therapeutic resource for deaf children's language development

A vivência prática do desenho na Clínica Fonoaudiológica é abordada como o núcleo central e gerador deste trabalho. Procurou-se investigar as práticas dialógicas desencadeadoras de processos de construção de conhecimentos, que relacionassem o desenho à apropriação de sentidos e significados, que pudessem interferir no desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança surda. A partir do referencial de análise qualitativa, utilizou-se os construtos teóricos e metodológicos da perspectiva Histórico-Cultural. Os sujeitos deste relato de caso foram duas crianças surdas bilíngües, ambas do sexo masculino; faixa etária de nove e dez anos; diagnóstico audiológico de surdez profunda bilateral e queixa de atraso do desenvolvimento de linguagem. Os dados coletados ao longo de um ano contêm 30 horas de filmagem e relatórios das sessões semanais de 60 minutos destinados ao atendimento clínico-terapêutico. Reconhecendo o desenvolvimento - da criança, da linguagem e do desenho - como um processo em constante movimento, o foco das análises recaiu sobre a emergência das ações em mudança e na dinâmica das interações entre os sujeitos. Os resultados mostraram que o uso prioritário da língua de sinais associado ao trabalho com atividades sígnicas, além da consideração das particularidades lingüísticas e das mediações semióticas, foram fundamentais para que o desenvolvimento e aquisição da linguagem favorecessem as práticas sociais da criança surda.<br>The practical experience of drawing in the Speech-Language Pathology clinical practice is taken as the central and generating nucleus of the present study. It is investigated the dialogical practices that trigger processes of knowledge construction able to relate drawing to the appropriation of senses and meanings, which could affect the deaf children's language development. From the point of view of a qualitative analysis, the study used theoretical and methodological constructs stemming from a Historic-Cultural perspective. The subjects of this case report were two bilingual male deaf children with ages between nine and ten years, both with profound bilateral hearing loss and complaints of delay in their language development. Data were gathered for a year, producing 30 hours of video recordings and reports regarding the 60-minutes weekly therapy sessions that were carried out during this period. Taking children's, language's and drawing's development as a constantly-changing process, the focus of the analyses was the emergence of actions-in-change and the dynamics of the interactions between the studied subjects. Results showed that the priority given to the use of sign language associated with the therapeutic focus on signic activities, which took into account linguistic particularities and semiotic mediations, were vital for language acquisition and development to favor deaf children's social practices