Earlier this month, we conducted an environmental education activity at the Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental Professor José Ribamar, in Santana do Araguaia.
Our field coordinator, Carlos Eduardo Batista, showed elementary school students how to act more sustainably on a daily basis, and introduced them to the Black Jaguar Foundation’s mission.
An introduction to ecological restoration
The event started with an introduction activity, where the children passed around a native seedling as they told each other their names, age, and favorite tree. Students were told to take care of the seedling, as they would plant it later on.
When asked about the BJF’s mission, many of the students responded that they thought the BJF protected Jaguars or took care of other animals. As Carlos explained, it is much bigger than that. The project has a more direct link to each of the children’s lives. The BJF aims to ecologically restore the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, surrounding the Araguaia River. The river is the main water course in the region, and pertinent to the livelihoods of the community.
After recognizing the importance of preserving our ecosystems, Carlos presented on how to live more sustainably. Some of the ideas he mentioned were: encouraging their families to separate the garbage at home, using reusable cups, reducing the use of plastic, among others.
Finally, a workshop was held on how to plant a tree in a backyard or on a farm!
The process was very participatory and dynamic – see some of the photos below:
