The  comprehension  of  relationships  established  in  rural  areas,  highlighting  those  involving family farmers and riparian forests, it becomes increasingly necessary, considering the plight of the  Watershed  of  Brazil  and  the  role  of  riparian  forests  in  this  context,  as  well  as  the farmers  in  different  relationship  with  the  land.  The  theoretical  contribution  of  collective memory, in this sense, it collaborates presenting not only a past reading, but also the present, being a rescue of perceived and lived by different groups. This study aims to understand how family  farmers  of  Caraá/RS  perceive  and  interfere  with  the  riparian  forests  as  subsidy  to reflect  on  the  rural  development  of  the  township.  The  effort  of  sample  involved  three locations, and was possible reaches 25 families, with  whom the methodological tools known as Timeline and Map of the Area were applied and the times recorded, also using the Field Diary. The analysis started from the transcripts of the recordings, and the reports was unified according  as defined  categories.  The  reading  of  records  on  Field  Diary,  the  overlap  of Timelines  and observation  of  the  presence  or  absence  of  riparian  forests  in  Area  Map  also included  the analysis.  As  a  result,  the  characterization  of  families  and  localities  pointed peculiar  to  each of  the  locations  (age  couples,  the  presence  of  grown-up  children, physiognomy, away from the downtown, production, kinship and neighborhood). Regarding to the meanings attributed to riparian forests, during spontaneous reports appeared different perceptions from those observed after the intervention of the researcher, and in this last case, ecological aspects are highlighted. The most part of families,  included the design of riparian forests on the Map of the Area and regarding to uses, a narrow strip of vegetation around the streams was observed in most of the areas visited, and in the reports, the forest was cited as “preserved”.  The  memories  associated with  environmental  monitoring  in  Town  Fraga  had more punitive aspects, while in Central Caraá there was an agreement with law enforcement.

The theoretical perspective of collective memory, in this case, with its ability to identify, from the memories of the past, but inserted in the present, different perceptions, proved relevant in studies of rural areas seeking to engage the relationship between human and nature.