Environmental Education: Why is it important?

Green Reef's Mission Statement reads that "Green Reef is a non-profit, non governmental membership organization dedicated to the protection of the environment and for the conservation of the Belize Barrier Reef and the associated marine environment in order to maintain the integrity of the ecosystems for the benefit of all humans." Education is an important component of environmental work because it ensures that those who depend on resources recognize their value and are aware of how their actions may influence the environment. This summer after assisting with the summer environmental education program offered by Hol Chan and Smith College, it became clear to me that the students of San Pedro are very interested in learning more about the marine environment and how they can help protect it. There were students from almost every primary school in San Pedro attending the program and they were all very enthusiastic about the subject material.

In order to help further develop this sense of interest that the students displayed during the summer program, Green Reef is interested in developing educational programs with the schools in San Pedro. As a full time Peace Corps volunteer working with Green Reef I am excited about the prospect of working more closely with each of the schools in San Pedro. I have prepared lesson plans covering coral, sea grass and mangrove ecology and environmental awareness that can easily be adapted for each grade level.

Reef Brief is a weekly column published in the San Pedro Sun

For more information on Green Reef please contact us at (email: [email protected] or telephone us at 226-2833.

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