Do you know that Parque Santo Dias honors a local hero? It is more than just a green space. It is a place with a story.
Welcome to Parque Santo Dias. This park is a tribute to Santo Dias da Silva. He was a worker killed during a strike in 1979.
The park officially opened on September 30, 1992. But its story began long before that. The area was once part of the Instituto Adventista de Educaçao’s farm. This institute is now known as UNASP.
In 1990, the city took over the land to build housing. But the community wanted a park instead. They formed an association and convinced the city to create Parque Santo Dias.
Spanning over 134,000 square meters, Parque Santo Dias is a green haven. It features remnants of the Atlantic Forest. You can find the unique Lytocaryum hoehnei palm tree here. It is native to the São Paulo area.
Parque Santo Dias is home to diverse wildlife. There are 132 animal species. 72 of them are birds. You might spot birds of prey. Gavião-peneira and falcão-peregrino soar above. Forest birds also live here. Look for choca-da-mata and trinca-ferro-verdadeiro.
The park also hosts some animals from the catinga region. You may see the sagui-de-tufo-branco. The rãzinha-piadeira is another resident. It is a tiny frog found only in the Atlantic Forest.
Parque Santo Dias offers many activities. Sports courts await volleyball, futsal, and basketball enthusiasts. Playgrounds delight children. There is even a special reading area called Bosque da Leitura. It is open on weekends.
If you enjoy walking, explore the trails. They wind through the park’s lush greenery. Keep an eye out for the diverse plant life. Aroeira-mansa and ipê-branco trees dot the landscape.
The park is also working to preserve endangered plants. The palmeira-prateada is a special highlight. It was rediscovered here in 1985.
The Capão Redondo neighborhood has its own story too. It began as a spot for city dwellers to camp and fish. They would clear round areas for their camps. People began calling these spots “capão redondo.”
Parque Santo Dias is more than just a park. It is a place of remembrance and recreation. It connects us to nature. It also connects us to the history of this community. Take a moment to appreciate this green space. Remember the story of Santo Dias da Silva.