Environmental Education for Galapagueño children

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Environmental Education for Galapagueno children

//Version en Espanol abajo.//

Galapagos Conservancy supports local initiatives that encourage learning and teaching, particularly about conservation, through our Education for Sustainability program and our Women in Sustainable Entrepreneurship grants (WISE).

Jenny Macias is an educator who was awarded a Galapagos Conservancy Conservation Action Grant. She lives on Santa Cruz Island, and she leads the Pasitos de Gigantes project. Jenny teaches children aged three to five years old how to care for the beautiful Galapagos Islands. This includes field trips to the highlands and conversations with naturist guide. The project is aimed at children who are small but have a huge impact on Galapagos.

Macias stated that the responsibility for caring for the islands is not just the responsibility of authorities and educators. “It’s everyone’s responsibility and vitally important to give environmental education the youngest children.” It is the seed that we give to these little and large giants that can make a difference and have an effect on their parents and grandparents to care for the paradise that surrounds them.

To raise awareness about the importance of caring for our planet, environmental education is vital. According to UNESCO the following are the goals of environmental education for children:

  • Sensitize and raise their awareness about environmental issues.
  • Encourage them to take an active role in improving and caring for the environment.
  • Encourage them to be able to understand the world around them.

Galapagos Conservancy believes that Pasitos de Gigantes is an important program for connecting youth to the natural world. The benefits of environmental education are that we become more aware of the issues that affect natural resources and the actions we can take in order to protect them.


Educacion ambiental para ninos galapaguenos

Los expertos en educacion afirman que los ninos absorben como “esponjas” todos los conocimientos que requieren y la informacion a la que se ven expuestos. Por ello, Galapagos Conservancy se enorgullece de apoyar iniciativas locales que fomenten el aprendizaje de practicas amigables con el ambiente.

La educadora Jenny Macias, beneficiaria de las subvenciones para acciones de conservacion de Galapagos Conservancy, es una mujer emprendedora que reside en la isla Santa Cruz y lidera el proyecto Pasitos de Gigantes. A traves de experiencias vivenciales ensena a ninos de tres a cinco anos a cuidar del maravilloso lugar donde viven, las islas Galapagos.

Macias dijo que cuidar nuestras islas no solo es responsabilidad de los educadores y las autoridades, “es responsabilidad de todos y es muy importante que la educacion ambiental sea impartida tambien a los mas pequenos. Es esa semilla que les damos a esos pequenos y grandes gigantes que puede hacer cambios y repercutir en ellos mismos, pero tambien en sus padres y en sus abuelos, para cuidar el paraiso que nos rodea,” destaco.

La educacion ambiental es indispensable para tomar conciencia de la necesidad de cuidar del medio ambiente. Segun la UNESCO, los objetivos de la educacion ambiental para ninos son:

  • Concienciarlos y sensibilizarlos ante los problemas medioambientales;
  • Fomentar su interes por el cuidado y mejora del entorno;
  • Desarrollar en ellos la capacidad para aprender acerca del medio que les rodea.

Estamos convencidos que las acciones de la vida cotidiana que hacemos sin darnos cuenta pueden incidir en el planeta: reciclar, prolongar la vida de los objetos, ser cuidadosos al consumir agua. Todo lo que hagamos hoy afecta sin duda a las presentes y futuras generaciones.

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