THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION IN THE AMAZON IS, TO A LARGE EXTENT, A PROBLEM OF EDUCATION AND INFORMATION
For this reason, the School of the Amazon, an educational program run by the Cristalino Foundation and supported by the Cristalino Lodge, invites students from schools in the area on forest immersion courses that are a blend of practical and theoretical classes about the ecosystem, using scientific methodologies, in an effort to create a positive relationship with the forest.
A DAY IN THE FOREST PROJECT
These are free workshops, under the School of the Amazon program, which aim to put 11-14 year-old children from Alta Floresta in direct contact with the Amazon rainforest. During the day’s activities, the students go on walks, observe the fauna and flora, perform artistic activities and conduct group dynamics within the forest, so that it becomes a more familiar and enjoyable environment.
RESULTS TO DATE
Since 2008, more than 80 workshops have been held under the A Day In The Forest project, which have involved at least:
35 undergraduate students in training workshops
50 volunteers
120 teachers from 30 schools (almost all state schools) in Alta Floresta and neighboring municipalities
1,400 children, directly
Thousands of children and hundreds of adults, indirectly, through posters in schools and the Terms of Agreement signed by parents.
Tests administered before and after participation have confirmed that the workshops are effective in increasing the children’s interest and respect in relation to the forest.
Any urban or rural school in the municipalities of Alta Floresta and Novo Mundo may participate in the project without any costs by sending an application to the Cristalino Foundation.
YOUNG CONSERVATIONIST PROJECT
This is an Amazon School initiative, supported by E-Cons (Conservation Entrepreneurs Program), which aims to promote and disseminate best practices in the use and conservation of the Amazon region’s natural resources. The project involves young students, their teachers and their schools and provides acknowledgement and appreciation of their important role. The focus of the first edition of this award was the Ouro Verde State School, in a rural area of Alta Floresta, where thirty high school students participated in workshops and the development of a play aimed at environmental communication about the region. The winners went to Sao Paulo to participate in a roundtable at the Lourenço Castanho school, as well as visits aimed at environmental and scientific communication, such as the publications Super Interessante and National Geographic - both part of the Sustainable Planet section of the Editora Abril publishing house - the Globo TV network’s Globo Rural program, the Butantã Institute’s Museum of Microbiology and the Museum of Veterinary Anatomy at the University of São Paulo (USP).
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Since 2010, students from the University of Tübingen (Germany), studying Zoology and Geoecology, have been coming to Brazil to perform research and studies in the field, with the opportunity to develop projects for studies applied to the environment, thereby generating more knowledge about the Amazon.
AWARDS
The School of the Amazon program has been presented with a Whitley Award, by the Whitley Fund for Nature (UK), as a model of applied environmental education.
Workshops and educational activities in the Amazon provide opportunities for the application of practical and theoretical learning.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS
The Cristalino Lodge is the ideal setting for educational institutions in different places around the world to carry out studies and Amazon immersion. This is a place that stimulates knowledge, human values and practical learning, while providing an unforgettable experience for the participants. Contact us for more information.
