Environmental education in school, a tool for the control of invasive species - a case study applied to Carpobrotus edulis

Biodiversity appears in the center of political discourse, along with the financial crisis, climate change, among others, thus showing the importance of developing measures to promote its protection. The involvement of... [ view full abstract ]

Biodiversity appears in the center of political discourse, along with the financial crisis, climate change, among others, thus showing the importance of developing measures to promote its protection. The involvement of citizens in environmental protection is essential, with voluntary actions increasing, and the NGO's (Non Governmental Organization for Environment) having an essential role in driving participation. Environmental Monitoring is the measurement and repeated observation of natural systems, allowing to detect changes and act quickly and safely. The Voluntary Environmental Monitoring associates these observations thru systematic voluntary community participation. The central theme of this work is biodiversity, including invasive species and more specifically Carpobrotus edulis. The aim of this work is to provide environmental education tools to educators wishing to implement in their schools / groups, projects for monitoring and control of the invasive specie Carpobrotus edulis, promoting knowledge of these issues among young students, making them multiplier agents. The project was implemented in three phases, with theoretical sessions, always accompanied by ludic games, and a field trip. For the assessment of the levels of interest and learning about the issues addressed, two surveys were applied before and after the sessions. The results were positive with an increment on correct answers between the two surveys, showing yet room for improvement in particular the focus level in the theoretical sessions, since some information may not have been seized as expected as there was in increment in incorrect answers in choosing native and invasive species. The final result is very interesting as almost a third of the children went back to the site where the action took place with friends or family, showing the multiplier potential of this project. Also students and teacher showed a good level of interest in the continuity of this project, now just for the knowledge but also for the interaction that took place both in the classroom and in the field, incrementing the awareness about biodiversity and invasive species.

Keywords: Environmental Education; Voluntary Environmental Monitoring; Invasive Species; Carpobrotus edulis; Citizen-scientist.