| Environmental
education
Everywhere
in the world marine and aquatic systems
are under heavy pressure of human impact.
Pollution, destruction of habitats and over
fishing are threatening the integrity of
these ecosystems, their biodiversity and
the natural resources. In Peru 50 % of the
population lives along the coast. Nearly
nowhere domestic and industrial waste and
sewage is treated before dumped into the
environment. The impact of Fisheries leads
to diminishing stocks, direct hunt of endangered
species and further pollution. The increasing
urbanization - mostly informal and disorganized
- destroys important coastal habitats.
As
the pressures from overpopulation and development
increase, it is becoming increasingly difficult
for people to provide their needs and wants.
It is also becoming impossible to escape the
consequence of severe environmental degradation:
species extinction, pesticide contamination,
increasing public health problems, starvation,
poverty, and loss of human life.
Environmental
education is a process aimed at improving
the quality of life by empowering people
with the tools they need to solve and prevent
environmental problems. Environmental education
can help people gain the knowledge, skills,
motivations, values, and commitment they'll
need to manage the earth's resources sustainable
and to take responsibility for maintaining
environmental quality.
Especially
children are an important audience for environmental
education because they are tomorrow's leaders
and resource users. And in some cases children
can influence parents and other community
members. Volunteers and educators who work
in or with schools and other educational
institutions can have a tremendous impact,
from increasing awareness and knowledge
to helping form attitudes and facilitate
action projects on behalf of the environment.
In
order to raise awareness on the protection
of marine and aquatic species and habitats
Mundo Azul set up its own environmental
education program. In a first step we are
offering educational units for school classes
on the life of marine turtles, whales, dolphins
and other marine species living along the
Peruvian coast.
By
means of slideshows, recordings of whale-songs
and educational games we aiming to interact
with children and to explain them about
the life of these animals, the threats they
are exposed to and the possibilities to
act against them.
We
are convinced that it is necessary to not
only speak about the destruction but to
also offer the children possibilities to
act and express their desires and hopes
in order to avoid frustration
We
hope to develop children's-activities in
cooperation with teachers and parents in
order to channel the positive motivation
of children into impacting activities.
The
educational program of Mundo Azul is partly
supported by the PADI-Aware Foundation.
The international "Professional Association
of Diving Instructors" formed this
foundation.
.
Thanks
to the support of the PADI-Aware-Foundation
we can offer Peruvian schools and teachers
to visit them and to give cost free speeches
on the following marine topics:
1. Marine
Turtles
2. Wales
and Dolphins
(More
topics are in preparation and will be added
to this web site when ready for presentation)
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