From the UK to the Philippines: A Virtual Island Adventure for the students of Holy Trinity Primary School
When it comes to conserving our one precious planet, we MUST have the youth on our side. How can we connect and inspire the next gen of ECO Warriors? Bring island life directly to their classroom in a fun and immersive way!
One of the main visions for Communities for Nature (CfN) is to help raise the next generation of conservationists. You will hear us harp about the importance of educating the youth over and over again – and we will not apologise! We provide education and skills training in many different ways, but one is through immersive learning opportunities for ALL students of the world, often with our partner Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc (PRRCFI).
Recently, we treated 300 enthusiastic primary students from Holy Trinity School in Surrey, England to an unforgettable virtual adventure of Danjugan Island, Philippines – all from the comfort of their classrooms. Danjugan is a 48-hectare island rich in biodiversity. It has five lagoons, white sand beaches, bat caves, lush limestone and mangrove forests and is surrounded by vast seagrass beds and fringing coral reefs. It is a marine sanctuary and an environmental education destination.
To share the unique wonders of the island and the importance of conservation, CfN took students on a virtual exploration via Zoom of the different ecosystems and precious wildlife that inhabit the island. Through virtual instruction, videos and trivia games, the students learned how corals, sea eagles, sharks, bats, snakes, sea horses (and more!) survive and thrive in their natural habitat. They learned about the pros and the cons of the environment, including tougher topics, such as climate change and pollution.
Among the students was a team of Eco Warriors, a group of passionate ambassadors at the school dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment. They helped steer the conversation with smart questions and comments throughout. After the virtual experience the students used worksheets to test their newfound knowledge and engage in lively class discussions about nature and the interconnectedness of living things.
Debbie Caunce, a Form 1 teacher said, “Virtual experiences such as the one CfN and PRRCFI provide are absolutely necessary in early education. They pull young children out of their everyday classroom and plant them in an exciting new environment that brings a deeper level of understanding of the world around them. My class loved the opportunity to learn from CfN and PRRCFI and understand their (very!) different world from ours in England. I could just see their minds at work! Thinking about how important it is to care about the climate, the flora and fauna, the animals, our Earth, and, now, our new friends at CfN and PRRCFI.”
Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc (PRRCFI), the foundation that owns and manages Danjugan Island, has taught more than 2000 youth and 100 scholars about the value of wildlife conservation for over three decades. Its credo is “TODAY’S YOUTH ARE TOMORROW’S CONSERVATIONISTS”. This educational activity ties in as part of CfN’s continuing work with PRRCFI.
We look forward to reconnecting with the students at Holy Trinity School again in the future. To continue to fight climate change together, from all around the world.
No matter what age, where or how children live or learn, we truly believe they are the changemakers for the future.