Effect of environmental education on the knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and reconnection with nature in early childhood

Abstract

Blue and green ecosystems are considered a key for the improvement of cities sustainability, providing numerous ecosystem services and habitat for many species. However, urban streams are still neglected and degraded, specially in southern European countries. One important step towards the rehabilitation of these ecosystems is the awareness of their importance by citizens. This study aimed to assess the effect of 1-year of activities (field and laboratory) of an environmental education project on primary school children, in improving their knowledge on urban stream ecosystems and their problems. We analyzed students’ questionnaires before and after field and laboratory activities, drawings and group interviews. Initially, most children had incipient contact with rivers and streams, showing fears and lack of knowledge about them. As the project progressed, their perceptions changed, with a clear increase in the proportion of students recognizing the biodiversity associated to rivers (e.g., names of riparian trees, aquatic plants and invertebrates). Also, their fears decreased significantly, while their awareness to the impacts of artificialization and lack of riparian vegetation increased. Our results show that direct contact with nature have a positive role in the way it is understood by children, as well as promoting responsible and sustainable behaviors, being effective from the early primary-school years.

Doğa Temelli̇ Çevre Etki̇nli̇kleri̇ni̇n Çocuklarin Doğaya Yakinliklarina Etki̇si̇

“…Feyza UÇAR ÇABUK & Seda ESKİDEMİR MERAL [2549] Similar to the findings of this study, there are studies in the literature that environmental activities positively affect children's affinity towards nature and their relationship with the environment (Buldur & Ömeroğlu, 2021;Collado et al 2013;Feio et al, 2022;Haluza-Delay, 2001;Liefländer et al, 2013;Yılmaz et al, 2020).…”

Environmental sustainability and its antecedents among millennial and Gen-Z students in a public higher learning institution

“…Similarly, the situation in Portugal and other southern European nations, where classes, school activities, and scientific experiments in natural environments remain infrequent, further supports the argument that urbanization may contribute to a disconnection from nature during formative years. Addressing this trend becomes crucial for fostering a generation with a strong environmental ethic, emphasizing the need for urban planning and educational initiatives that prioritize outdoor experiences and ecological education [32,33].…”

Perspektif Siswa Sekolah Dasar Adiwiyata mengenai Perilaku Peduli Lingkungan Hidup

“…Studi oleh Collado & Corraliza (2015) pada siswa SD di Spanyol menghasilkan bahwa pengalaman sebelumnya dengan lingkungan hidup (tinggal atau bersekolah di lingkungan alamiah atau non-alamiah) berhubungan dengan PEB pada anak. Interaksi langsung dengan kehidupan alamiah terbukti meningkatkan pengetahuan siswa SD di Portugal tentang ekosistem sungai dan perilaku-perilaku yang bertujuan melestarikan kehidupan sungai (Feio et al, 2022). Hasil serupa ditemukan dalam penelitian pada siswa SD di Kabupaten Bandung (Kusuma & Kusuma, 2021).…”