To all my Friends & Fellow Environmentalists, here's some important food for thought!
According to studies by scientists and environmentalists throughout the world, if we don't act soon, the polluting of our air, sea & land will not only effect and kill our birds, fish, animals and plant life, but will also destroy our food sources.
Unless we act now, the Earth will probably not be able to support human existence in about 50 years.
Our only hope is to educate young and old throughout the world that only humans can solve this problem.
We have a paradise, here on earth, that can't be found in any other galaxy. So to prevent more birds, fish, animals and eventually humans from becoming extinct, we need to educate everyone why and how it is important to create a healthier planet for them and us.
My suggestion is to create a mandatory Environmental Studies Curriculum in all schools and universities that helps our youth appreciate nature, and be aware of environmental problems.
The levels of educational curriculum related to "Saving Our Planet" would be from basic knowledge in Elementary Schools to a Masters Degree. This would encourage more students to become environmental professionals who will be the future educators and guardians of our planet.
A suggestion would be to have weekly, one hour, Environmental Study Classes that featured Local Species. For Example: Birds, Animals, Fish, Plants, Trees; in Mexico and worldwide.
The idea would be to study 3 species in each of these categories per week with discussions between the teachers and students on what they have learned. The students can then share what they learned with their friends and families.
Ideally the students and teachers would take a weekly Field Trip to a local park, forest, jungle, botanical garden, ocean, lake, or river excursion with a local environmental group or club that specializes in that species.
The Important Question?
Ask any person young or old what's the name of that bird, animal, tree or plant; and 9 out of 10 will say "I don't know." Sad, but true. This lack of knowledge about how they help our environment, needs to be changed.
People only protect things that they love and have knowledge about.
EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS; Local Birds
Pelicans, Seagulls, Turns, Albatross, Parrots, Buzzards
How do you tell the difference between a male and female?
Where do they live and build their nests?
What months do they mate?
Does the male also sit on the eggs and feed the young?
How many eggs do they have and how long to hatch?
When do the young leave the nest?
What fruits, nuts, or bugs do they eat?
What role do birds play in our ecosystem?
How many bird species are now extinct and why?
How many bird species are on the endangered list?
What can we do to help save them?
KNOWLEDGE OF TREES
The lack of knowledge and appreciation about how trees help our environment by preventing floods and climate change is the problem.
My suggestion is to have classes in identifying leaves from local trees. The assignment can be to see how many different leaves can be collected by each student with a time limit on the collecting. This will show students how many types of trees live in their surrounding area, and will also encourage students and their parents to visit the local park, jungle, or forest.
Once the leaves are collected, the fun will be to see who collected the most species and who found the rarest leaf.
Now the real education begins. After all the leaves of different trees are collected, they can be mounted and labeled according to their type.
EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS (Local Trees)
EXAMPLE: Palm, Pine, Coconut, Eucalyptus
How long can they live and what type of soil do they need?
How many years to bear fruit after the seeds are planted?
Which months do they produce fruit?
What animals, birds, or people eat the fruits or nuts?
What type of birds prefer to nest in each?
Which trees are used for building homes or roofs?
Which are native to the region or how did they get here?
What role do different types of trees play in our Ecosystem?
Why do we need to protect and plant more trees?
Perhaps a basic quiz with multiple-choice answers can be used to test the knowledge that has been learned.
EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS; Local Animals
Deer, Raccoons, Armadillos, Cougars, Fox, Wolves, Squirrels
Where do they live and how long do they live?
What do they eat and who eats them?
How many babies do they have and during which months?
How long until the babies can be on their own?
How old can a female be to give birth?
How old can a male be to father?
How many local species have gone extinct and why?
How many local species are on the endangered list?
What role does each species play in our Ecosystem?
What can we do to save them?
Please give me your feedback or suggestions on having mandatory Environmental Study Classes in elementary schools. By documenting these questions and answers in foreign languages for each species, it will help educators motivate more students to appreciate our environment.
John Benus
GUERRA CONTRA LA BASURA/Puerto Vallarta
Creator & Director
415-331-0100 USA
388-105-0786 Mexico
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