23-10-2024
LIFE ECOREST: the educational program begins to raise awareness among schoolchildren on the importance of deep sea habitats
The environmental education program of the LIFE ECOREST project begins with the aim of raising awareness among the educational community about the natural values of deep marine habitats and the importance of marine restoration. In this first stage, it is aimed, preferably, at the educational centers located in the localities with fishermen's brotherhoods participating in the project, in the provinces of Girona and Barcelona.
The LIFE ECOREST program is promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), in coordination with the rest of the partners of the project coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), and has the participation of a team of experts led by Cristina Linares and Andrea Gori, from the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona
Now, the LIFE ECOREST project's environmental education program hopes to reach at least 450 middle or upper primary school students and first cycle high school students. The program includes a training guide for teachers and students, as well as activities, games and other resources to implement the contents of the guide.
The thematic areas on which the teachers work with the students focus on the actions of the LIFE ECOREST project and on making known the importance of deep marine habitats, with a special focus on sessile organisms, among which are corals, gorgonians, sponges and bryozoans. In addition, it delves into marine restoration and its benefits.
Special attention is also paid to the role or role of the fishing sector in the project and marine restoration, at the same time that the active participation of students is encouraged with activities in which they can work on their contribution to the conservation and protection of ecosystems sailors
The proposal combines activities in the classroom with others outside the educational center. These activities, which include a visit to the aquariums installed in the fishing guilds where accidentally caught organisms are recovered for their subsequent return to the sea. The first visit took place on October 22 at the brotherhood of Port de la Selva (Girona). The collaboration of these confraternities will allow, in the coming weeks, school centers in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Llançà, Figueres, L'Escala, Arenys de Mar, Castelló d'Empúries, Cadaqués and Roses to visit the aquariums they maintain the confraternities participating in the project closest to their localities.
The educational resources are available on the website of the LIFE ECOREST project so that interested centers can access them.
Restoration of deep marine habitats
The LIFE ECOREST project is progressing with the aim of restoring nearly 30,000 hectares of deep marine habitats in Catalonia with the active participation of the fishing sector. In addition to the research and conservation actions, the participative management of the fishermen who are part of the project, the strengthening of governance mechanisms and the awareness of the population about the importance of conserving deep marine habitats is also being promoted.
This initiative, coordinated by the Institute of Sea Sciences (ICM-CSIC) until 2026, has as partners the Territorial Federation of Fishermen's Brotherhoods of Girona, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the University of Barcelona and WWF Spain, as well as with the financial contribution of the LIFE Program of the European Union.
The project has the collaboration of the brotherhoods of Llançà, Port de la Selva, Cadaqués, Roses, Palamós, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Blanes, Arenys de Mar and Vilanova i la Geltrú.
More information:
https://www.life-ecorest.cat/inici-programa-educatiu-life-ecorest/