This article describes how researchers from Brazil implemented Environmental Education (EE) programs in national parks and public schools in urban areas, focusing on incorporating EE into school curricula and recovering local green spaces. The researchers worked with the Group of Research and Studies in Environmental Education and Sustainability (GEPEASA), conducting their work across multiple sites including the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Serra do Mar State Park, and five public schools in São Paulo state.
The research demonstrates that EE programs are crucial in addressing environmental crises, particularly in Brazil, which has recently suffered its worst drought in a century due to prolonged dry conditions and accelerated deforestation. The authors note that UNESCO has urged making Environmental Education a core curriculum component in all countries by 2025 to improve public action and response to environmental challenges.
The EE programs implemented included activities focused on three main themes:
1. Environmental health and emotional education (including meditation practices)
2. Food and nutrition security (including school farming activities)
3. Citizen-Science (in national parks, participants helped restore trails and green areas while learning about biodiversity and conservation)
In schools, students participated in creating and maintaining school gardens, learning about sustainable waste collection, and practicing mindfulness meditation.
Results showed significant positive outcomes in multiple areas. In urban national parks, the programs helped restore 40.51 m² of trails and created 409.5 m² of new trails. Participants gained scientific knowledge about local biodiversity while contributing to conservation efforts. In schools, the EE programs led to improved green areas and gardens, increased student engagement and well-being, and enhanced ecological consciousness among both students and the wider community. Teachers reported significant improvements in students' learning and socio-emotional skills following participation in the programs.
The researchers argue that EE programs are particularly important in urban settings, where reduced green areas and outdoor activities have created artificial lifestyles disconnected from nature. They emphasize that reconnecting children with nature through EE can help develop ecological consciousness, social engagement, and environmental literacy, which are crucial for addressing current environmental challenges and creating more sustainable communities.
The Bottom Line
This 2022 study describes the impact of Environmental Education (EE) programs implemented by the Group of Research and Studies in Environmental Education and Sustainability (GEPEASA) in Brazil. The researchers conducted EE programs in national parks and public schools in urban cities to incorporate environmental education into school curricula through activities like school farms, sustainability classes, food security and environmental health education, and restoration of local green areas. Their findings showed that in areas where EE programs were implemented, there were increases in green spaces, ecological consciousness, social engagement, and improved well-being among students and communities. They conclude that EE plays a crucial role in reestablishing connections between nature, children, and communities, helping to develop future environmentally conscious citizens.