The immensity of Patagonia, where the horizons extend beyond, motivates us to discover every landscape, every corner, every species, and dazzles us with its shape, its color, its energy and, above all, its vigor.
Program 1: Punta Flecha
Very close to Puerto Madryn there is a sector of coast from where you can spot the Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) between the months of June and November. The place is generically called “El Doradillo” and includes a land and marine area with a coastline of approximately 15 kilometers of coastline.
Introduction
Since 1990, this site has stood out among others, within the Golfo Nuevo, for concentrating the largest number of these whales, particularly mothers with calves. This is also why every year, a growing number of residents and tourists come to observe them from the coast. The sector between Punta Arco and Punta Ameghino has been declared a Municipal Protected Area (Ordinance No. 4263/01), which serves as a framework to continue advancing on the path of conservation of the species in the area.
In 1999, the Patagonia Natural Foundation built the “Punta Flecha Observatory” with the objective of developing research, education and interpretation tasks on whales and the coastal environment in general.
The Observatory is located on Punta Flecha, an elevation of 21 meters above sea level, flanked by the beaches “Las Canteras” and “El Doradillo”. Since its inception, FPN has provided this space free of charge to residents and tourists attracted by whales, eager to receive information and interpret what they see. Likewise, it serves as an operational base for researchers from different disciplines, interested in studying whales in their natural state, as well as the use of the environment by visitors. More information about the Observatory can be obtained on the website: Fundación Patagonia Natural. There is a trail that has interpretive signs that facilitate understanding of the flora and fauna that can be observed from there. The Municipal Protected Area “El Doradillo” has an incomparable landscape value, where the coastal environment and the Patagonian steppe are represented.
This is the ideal framework to develop activities with children that allow them to live new experiences in direct contact with the natural environment. The Observatory is a public place visited by a large number of tourists and local residents, however, being located 17 km from the city of Puerto Madryn and not included in its public transportation network, it becomes a a place that can be reached mainly by vehicle, which reduces the possibilities that girls and boys alone, or families with limited economic resources, can access this place far from the city.
The reason that gave rise to the educational program was the attempt to motivate children, from an early age, in the interpretation of the place where they live, generating knowledge about the sea, the Patagonian steppe and the species typical of the Patagonian coastal-marine environment. Knowing the native flora and fauna allows us to value life, the relationships that are established and the importance they play within the local environment, awakening the need to protect it and thus ensure its integrity for future generations.
• Initiate in participants a global and integrated vision of the marine and terrestrial environment.
• Recognize the most representative species of the steppe and the coast, awakening a new interest in girls and boys to discover other members of the environment that surrounds them.
• Promote the understanding of the relationships between the different components of the Patagonian coastal system and the importance of its conservation.
• Raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the environment and the responsibility that each individual has in its conservation.
The Program has been carried out since 2005 and is offered free of charge through an invitation letter to the sixth years of primary schools in the city of Puerto Madryn. Then, those who are interested contact the Patagonia Natural Foundation and the dates for the informative talk within the school establishment and the corresponding educational outing to the “El Doradillo” Protected Natural Area are coordinated. This choice is based on the fact that in the previous years (4th and 5th year EGB), many of the contents addressed in this proposal have already been developed, which is why it offers children the possibility of carrying out direct experiences, promoting a global and integrated vision of the marine and terrestrial environment.
The activity begins in the classroom with an informative and interactive talk about the fauna and flora of the Protected area under study, general characteristics of the place, tasks carried out by the Foundation and actions that we should all take into account to conserve the environment and its biodiversity. Children are told where they are going to go and what they are going to do there. The main idea of this talk is to reduce the anxiety generated by visiting an outdoor place (unknown to most of them), projecting a series of photographs that help us introduce general concepts of the coastal ecosystem.
At the end of each talk, the teacher is given an envelope with graphic activities (crossword puzzles, word searches, etc.) and dissemination material to address the topics discussed. It is expected that the children, guided by their teachers, will carry out these recreational activities before departure, in order to reinforce the content learned during the talk.
After a week, they visit the Observatory, where they can be in direct contact with what they are taught in the classrooms about this environment. The main objective of this outing is for children to enjoy a moment of leisure and recreation, with the intention that learning linked to nature remains in their memories directly associated with a pleasant and mobilizing experience.
The objective of this visit is for children to identify the main components of the flora and fauna of the Patagonian steppe, inviting them to reflect on the ecological patterns and processes that are occurring at that time and that also define the environment. For this purpose, a series of recreational-educational activities are carried out, many of which can be continued in the classroom by the teacher in charge. They vary throughout the years and between seasons.
Below are some activities that have been carried out alternately since the program is underway:
• Preparation of a conservation message: It is captured in a whale, made of cardboard, to be pasted on the Observatory’s billboard, thus remaining exposed to all visitors during that season. This activity was designed with the objective that children can reflect on the state of conservation of species and think about how it can be transmitted to other people.
• Carrying out censuses: Pretending to be researchers, the children count the whales they see that day and at that time from the Observatory, also aiming to try to distinguish whether they are adults or calves and what type of activity they are carrying out. The objective of this activity is for children to understand the importance of research in the identification of species and behaviors, to think about the best way to conserve species in their natural state.
• Guided inquiries: A series of inquiries were developed based on the “Methodological guide for teaching ecology in the schoolyard” (Natalia Arango, María Elfi Chaves and Peter Feinsinger. AUDUBON 2002). They are set out below:
How many and which colors can be observed in plants in your neighborhood, and how many and which in the steppe?
This activity allows you to compare the plants of any neighborhood in the city with those of the steppe. It serves as a trigger to discuss topics such as: native and introduced species, the adaptations of various species to their environment, etc.
How does the flavor, size and shape of the leaves, and the presence and position of the spines, vary in the different plants of the Patagonian steppe?
This activity serves as a trigger to work on the adaptation of species in relation to the arid climate and predators.
How does soil hardness vary between a path and the neighboring untrampled area under bushes?
On the bare ground where we walk there are three plastic tubes separated from each other, and three on the ground under bushes. After recording the time it took for the water deposited in those tubes to filter into the soil in the two places, the results are compared with the other groups. By noticing that the trampled soil is more compacted, and in that place the water took longer to filter, they begin to see the impact of our activities on the soil, how the climate affects this process, and the rest of the living beings in the place. . This inquiry serves as a trigger to talk about issues of global importance such as desertification.
• Recreation: At the end of the activities and after the sharing, there is a walk to “Las Canteras” beach, where the field trip closes, species present on the coast are observed, They play games and offer breakfast/snack to the children.
Since the Educational Program has been carried out, students, teachers and directors have shown great satisfaction and therefore approval of it. This has generated in the Puerto Madryn community a more constructive vision about caring for the environment and species, and the social actors who are involved from their different positions. Thus recognizing the people who work at FPN carrying out various activities, in this case with children, to learn to appreciate and conserve the environment in which we live. Likewise, the children take home the story of their experience, so it can also be said that the Program is already established in society, since since its inception, more than 8,000 boys and girls have participated in it. and have conveyed the message of conservation.
Because teaching strategies are at the service of providing students with opportunities to consolidate content and verify achievements or difficulties, we consider that the evaluation will not stop at the linear and successive accumulation of content, but rather at the networks of knowledge that children can build in an increasingly complex and comprehensive spiral.
Regarding the evaluation of the achievements achieved and the achievement of the objectives set in the project, we believe that it is innovative since, through the experience at the Punta Flecha Observatory, the girls and boys who participate, manage to recognize the species most representative of the steppe and the coast, awakening a new interest in discovering the members of the environment that surrounds them, achieving a global and integrated vision of the marine and terrestrial environment; and mainly, become aware of the impact of their activities and the responsibility they have regarding the conservation of the place where they live.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AREA COORDINATION
Mariana Rivarola
ASSISTANTS
Myriam Fernandez
Andrea Vitalone
Alba Putty
Program 2: Discovering the Intertidal
This is an educational proposal from the Patagonia Natural Foundation aimed at third grade students, aimed at knowledge and conservation of the species of the Patagonian coastal area.
Introduction
The Patagonian Sea is characterized by a great diversity and abundance of invertebrates. Many of these species are present in the abrasion platform areas, which make up an important portion of the Patagonian coastal ecosystem.
There are a diversity of anthropogenic effects that affect these environments such as the introduction of species, pollution and physical modifications carried out in the coastal zone. The protection of coastal-marine areas constitutes a tool against these threats. The Patagonian Sea is characterized by a great diversity and abundance of invertebrates. Many of these species are present in the abrasion platform areas, which make up an important portion of the Patagonian coastal ecosystem. There are a diversity of anthropogenic effects that affect these environments such as the introduction of species, pollution and physical modifications carried out in the coastal zone. The protection of coastal-marine areas constitutes a tool against these threats.
Currently, there is a certain lack of knowledge on the part of teachers and students of the ecological processes that occur in the coastal zone and the species that inhabit this place, in addition to the daily threats that these environments face.
For this reason, this Educational Program is believed to be necessary, which promotes knowledge of coastal marine protected areas and the species that inhabit and use them as a resource. This program will enable a global and integrated vision of the coastal (marine-terrestrial) environment, and will contribute to increasing public awareness regarding the impact of anthropogenic activities on the natural environment and the responsibility of individuals in its conservation.
The educational aspect of the project originated with the intention of contributing to the strengthening of environmental awareness in the community of Puerto Madryn through the global and integrated vision of the coastal environment (marine-terrestrial) and the species that inhabit this place.
In this program, students will have the possibility of discovering a portion of the Patagonian coastal ecosystem (made up of a variety of species) and living an educational-recreational experience that, in turn, will help strengthen group ties.
GENERAL
• Understand that there is a great variety of living beings that have distinctive characteristics, forms of behavior and ways of life related to the environment in which they live.
• Observe and explore the ecosystem, reflecting collectively on the impact of human activities on the balance of nature.
• Develop habits for the care and conservation of the environment based on direct experience with the natural environment.
SPECIFICS
• Identify the distinctive characteristics of organisms according to their adaptation to the intertidal environment, with a participatory and careful attitude in direct observation.
• Interpret the human actions involved in the degradation of the intertidal environment and its biodiversity.
• Establish participatory proposals for the adoption of habits in order to preserve the intertidal zone and its species.
• Promote awareness in the school and extracurricular community about the conservation of the intertidal environment of our city.
The choice of third grade is based on the fact that the social and natural sciences content addressed during that year adjust to those selected to develop this program, so it will provide children with the possibility of carrying out direct experiences, promoting a global and integrated vision of the environment.
The program is offered free of charge to all schools through an invitation letter, then interested schools confirm their participation. The date and time for the informative talk are coordinated, where images of the area and the species that can be observed in the educational outing are shown, as well as problems that affect the environment under study. The talk generates an enriching interaction with the children, allowing them to voice their concerns and thus, this information is then shared with their family and friends.
The topics addressed at this meeting are:
• coastal-marine protected areas of the area: functions and benefits.
• Coastal geomorphology: General description of the abrasion platform, tidal cycles and their influence on the invertebrates that live there.
• Marine invertebrates: presentation of the species found in the place, their behavior and their relationship with other species (including coastal birds) and with the environment (adaptations).
• Threats that affect marine invertebrates and their environment.
• Function and importance that coastal-marine protected areas represent as a tool for their conservation.
• Recommendations for departure.
After the talk, the teachers are given didactic activities to be solved with the class group, prior to departure. Through the educational outing, we bring students into direct contact with the environment, in this case, with the nearby abrasion platform to begin exploring the area under study and the invertebrate species that can be found there. Each student is given a notebook, pencil and magnifying glass, so they can record which and how many invertebrates and algae appear. The names, behaviors and adaptations they developed to survive in that place are explained to them. After analyzing each area of the intertidal zone, a sharing of what was experienced is carried out: from the emotions generated to the general accounting (categories: a lot, a little) of the species seen, why they are found in an area and not in another and how they adapt to the climatic conditions where they live, etc. To do this, we have a panel that has the intertidal environment under study graphically represented, so that the children can analyze what they recorded in their notebooks and then locate the species on the panel.
Finally, a reflection is made about the problems that affect the intertidal environment, the causes that generate them are analyzed and possible solutions or attitudes that man should adopt or reinforce to contribute to the care of this important and fragile ecosystem are proposed. It ends up sharing, with something to drink and eat.
A survey will be given to the teacher with the objective of evaluating the experience lived with their group of students, the different stages of the program and an appreciation for the coordination provided.
To work on conservation issues, it is necessary to be based on an open and permanent nature that allows the content acquired during class to be valued as well as on the outing, to observe and analyze the process of participation and reflection that the children transmit and to encourage them to use this knowledge be taken to transposition, that is, apply to other environmental problems or topics.
Resources:
• Audiovisual and graphic material.
• Graphic material and brochures for the school, teachers and students.
• Graphic activities to do in the classroom and at the exit.
• Notebook to make notes, pencil and magnifying glass.
• Transportation to Punta Cuevas.
The directors, teachers and students have been very satisfied with the Educational Program and have greatly appreciated the work that the FPN carries out from its different areas for the preservation of protected areas.
The analysis of the surveys given to teachers has shown that the Program has an important value in generating environmental awareness and many teachers have expressed that it would be good if, over the years, the proposal could continue, since in addition to providing them students the possibility of getting to know the place (since many do not have the resources to get there), they can in turn come into direct contact with the intertidal environment and its biodiversity.
This program allows children, from an early age, to learn about the different environments present in the city and surrounding areas as well as the species of flora and fauna that can be found, observed and identified. Behaviors can be recorded and the adaptations they developed to survive in an environment that undergoes constant physical changes can be analyzed. Beginning to value nature as a whole means that we understand the place that each living being occupies and its function within the ecosystem.
Together, we can multiply the message of conservation to adopt more responsible attitudes and skills that support the care of the environment and its biodiversity.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AREA COORDINATION
Mariana Rivarola
ASSISTANTS
Myriam Fernandez
Andrea Vitalone
Alba Putty
Composters
Composting means subjecting organic waste to a controlled aerobic decomposition process, resulting in an organic substance rich in minerals, nutrients and microorganisms, compost.
Home composting can be carried out in the house, on the terrace, garden or any other suitable space.
From a reduced amount of waste, produced in the kitchen and garden, without transportation costs or the need for complex devices and with the immediate use of the compost that is produced. The compost bin is a container that allows air circulation inside, where the organic waste that will give rise to compost is deposited. Its function is to keep the material organized and compact, preventing it from spreading and presenting a hygienic and pleasant appearance to the outside. Inside the composter, the organic matter begins a slow process
of aerobic decomposition, in the presence of oxygen, by microorganisms responsible for the degradation of organic matter. During the entire process, approximately 4 months, it is advisable to turn the pile once or twice a month to homogenize the mixture, aerate it and equalize the temperatures and monitor the humidity and water the materials if you notice that they are very dry. The compost will be ready for use if it has a uniform, homogeneous granulometry, loose texture, dark color and pleasant earthy smell.
Consolidation of the use of renewable energies and proper management of organic waste
The project aimed to expand and strengthen the work carried out during 2012 in the promotion and installation of renewable energies and the proper management of organic waste in the province of Chubut, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from the decomposition of its organic solid waste and replacing the burning of fossil fuels used for heating and cooking.
Within the framework of this project, the following actions were carried out:
Within the framework of this project, the following actions were carried out:
• The construction of the biodigester started by the previous project has been completed.
• Compost bins have been designed, manufactured and distributed to promote this good practice and reduce the waste that reaches the landfill.
• Solar collectors have been installed in various locations in order to generate a positive impact on the quality of life of its inhabitants.
• Solar ovens have been manufactured and distributed among families in two villages in the province.
The sites selected to work during this project have been the artisanal shellfish village of “Riacho San José”, Valdés Peninsula; the Chacay Oeste village, on the central plateau of the province; and the town of Puerto Madryn.
The biodigester began to be built in 2012 on the property of the Ceferino Namuncurá Foundation (FCN). Throughout 2013, most of the civil works were carried out. In March 2014, together with provincial and local authorities, the inauguration of the Work was carried out, leaving the commissioning to be carried out. A complete workshop on the subject is planned for the middle of this year, to continue the promotion of these technologies. The compost bins were designed entirely by the Patagonia Natural Foundation, and built initially by the FCN, during workshops with the children who attend the School, and then by the Civil Association “Juntos Podemos” that promotes protected work for people with disabilities. disability. The compost bins were made using recovered and recycled wood, which FPN removed as a donation from the Aluar Company. So far, the composters have been distributed in 21 primary schools in the city of Puerto Madryn, through talks and workshops on composting and waste to 2,369 4th, 5th and 6th grade students.
Compost bins have also been installed in various local institutions, such as the Municipal Parador, where workshops will be offered to the public on recycling and reuse of waste among other activities; the Oceanographic Museum, where workshops will be offered to promote good practice among the community; in a Municipal Mother and Child Home, where they have begun to develop garden work with families and neighbors; in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Province of Chubut and another in the FPN offices, where we can evaluate its efficiency while making correct use of our own waste.
Last year, two new solar collectors were installed at the School and Boarding School of the Chacay Oeste School Village. At the same time, workshops and talks on Climate Change, waste and renewable energy were given to the children and residents of the Village. The manufacture of the solar ovens was partly carried out by a family from the isolated rural community of ñancuñam in the east of the province of Mendoza, while the rest have been built by a person who today builds ovens to reinforce his economic income. The ovens were distributed to families in Riacho San José; and between the inhabitants of the Chacay Oeste Village and the surrounding rural families.
