Educating on wetlands protection
Donation protected
WHO WE ARE:
We -Marvin and Carolina- met each other teaching kids about the importance of mire ecosystems (bogs) during of our PhD formation in Germany. We decided to have a life together and dedicate it to the education, protection and renaturation of these environments.
THE STATE OF EDUCATION ON CONSERVATION IN CHILE: Chile has a large gap to solve on environmental education. Considerations of ecological consequences are little of an issue in front of productive activities in the country. Consequently, so called “environmental catastrophes” are frequent; in 2016 for instance the massive outbreak of the red tide in Chiloé caused by eutrophication derived from salmon farms; or the vast extent of wild fires in early 2017 favored by the replacement of native forest with eucalyptus and pine monocultures. The progressive destruction of mire and wetland ecosystems is only one more item, on the list of the non-awareness and neglect of the ecological consequences by politicians and institutions. Chile is not applying serious regulations related to mire and wetland protection and the importance of these ecosystems is still overlooked by local authorities.
One important function of mires and wetlands for example, is their capacity to store water in the landscape. That function was underestimated in the Island of Chiloé (Región of Los Lagos), where almost 100% of the bogs containing peat moss Sphagnum magellanicum have been affected over several decades, producing in the last five years the highest hydrological deficit known in the island. Since 2016 the peat and moss harvesting industry has moved to Aysén and Magallanes, the most southern regions of Patagonia. There, local people are the most important actors to confront exploiting activities, which otherwise could irreversibly affect their territories and their lives.
EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING ON MIRES AND WETLANDS PROTECTION:
Since 2015 we have been starting initiatives to educate children and teachers of the Chilean Patagonia, about the importance of mires and wetlands ecosystems. In cooperation with local schools, the municipal environmental departments and some volunteers, we developed several scientific workshops in the classroom and on the field, introducing teachers and children to mire plants, peat formation, water retention, water purification and ecological linkages of these ecosystems, which occur very widely in their regions.
We reached over 100 children and teachers, who are now knowledgeable about mires and wetlands in their territories, and educated and empowered to understand when their local eco-system is being exploited in an unsustainable manner and to react accordingly, with the desire to protect their environment.
SUPPORT US:
We want to replicate our initiative, bringing our workshops during the school period 2017 to children and teachers of the two most distant and isolated schools of the Chilean Patagonia: the primary school of Villa O’Higgins (the most southerly town of the Región Aysén at the end of the Carretera Austral) and the primary school of Puerto Williams (Capital of the Cape Horn Archipelago, in the Region Magallanes). We think it is crucial to educate people living next to mires and wetlands from a social and science based perspective, rather than from a short term productive one.
We want to empower Patagonian future generations to preserve their chances to benefit from a functioning mire and wetland system.
You can see more information about our work and life in www.miresofchile.cl , Thanks a lot!!
We -Marvin and Carolina- met each other teaching kids about the importance of mire ecosystems (bogs) during of our PhD formation in Germany. We decided to have a life together and dedicate it to the education, protection and renaturation of these environments.
THE STATE OF EDUCATION ON CONSERVATION IN CHILE: Chile has a large gap to solve on environmental education. Considerations of ecological consequences are little of an issue in front of productive activities in the country. Consequently, so called “environmental catastrophes” are frequent; in 2016 for instance the massive outbreak of the red tide in Chiloé caused by eutrophication derived from salmon farms; or the vast extent of wild fires in early 2017 favored by the replacement of native forest with eucalyptus and pine monocultures. The progressive destruction of mire and wetland ecosystems is only one more item, on the list of the non-awareness and neglect of the ecological consequences by politicians and institutions. Chile is not applying serious regulations related to mire and wetland protection and the importance of these ecosystems is still overlooked by local authorities.
One important function of mires and wetlands for example, is their capacity to store water in the landscape. That function was underestimated in the Island of Chiloé (Región of Los Lagos), where almost 100% of the bogs containing peat moss Sphagnum magellanicum have been affected over several decades, producing in the last five years the highest hydrological deficit known in the island. Since 2016 the peat and moss harvesting industry has moved to Aysén and Magallanes, the most southern regions of Patagonia. There, local people are the most important actors to confront exploiting activities, which otherwise could irreversibly affect their territories and their lives.
EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING ON MIRES AND WETLANDS PROTECTION:
Since 2015 we have been starting initiatives to educate children and teachers of the Chilean Patagonia, about the importance of mires and wetlands ecosystems. In cooperation with local schools, the municipal environmental departments and some volunteers, we developed several scientific workshops in the classroom and on the field, introducing teachers and children to mire plants, peat formation, water retention, water purification and ecological linkages of these ecosystems, which occur very widely in their regions.
We reached over 100 children and teachers, who are now knowledgeable about mires and wetlands in their territories, and educated and empowered to understand when their local eco-system is being exploited in an unsustainable manner and to react accordingly, with the desire to protect their environment.
SUPPORT US:
We want to replicate our initiative, bringing our workshops during the school period 2017 to children and teachers of the two most distant and isolated schools of the Chilean Patagonia: the primary school of Villa O’Higgins (the most southerly town of the Región Aysén at the end of the Carretera Austral) and the primary school of Puerto Williams (Capital of the Cape Horn Archipelago, in the Region Magallanes). We think it is crucial to educate people living next to mires and wetlands from a social and science based perspective, rather than from a short term productive one.
We want to empower Patagonian future generations to preserve their chances to benefit from a functioning mire and wetland system.
You can see more information about our work and life in www.miresofchile.cl , Thanks a lot!!
Organiser
Miresofchile Cl
Organiser
