Helping children treasure the environment

Bambang Parlupi, Contributor, Jakarta

"Let's save the Earth from destruction. Let's save the Earth for the sake of our future. Protect our fauna, save our seas. Conserve our green nature."

These words were the lyrics of a song sung by first graders Evi Destriani and Irsan Farhan from Citra Alam elementary school in Ciganjur, South Jakarta. The song was specially composed by their teacher, Agus Salim, titled Mari Selamatkan Bumi (Let's Save the Earth) for his students.

"I hope through this song, which uses the environment as its theme, children will be encouraged to always protect their environment," the 33-year-old teacher said. "This is the simplest way, and can be done through art activities."

Fostering an awareness of the need to preserve the environment is one of the subjects taught at the school. School principal Wawan Fahmi said the methods used were different from other schools although it adheres to the government's set requirements in the curriculum.

The school's atmosphere revolves around the environment, inside and outside its classrooms. The students are introduced to nature the moment they enter the school. "In the schoolyard we grow various kinds of plants and breed animals," Wawan, the father of five, said.

The school also teaches all students to plant vegetables or medicinal plants, an activity that also involves teachers. A teacher is on hand to teach gardening or introduce the benefits of medicinal plants.

"We teach the students about cultivating land and planting seeds to grow corn, peanuts and vegetables. The students can enjoy eating what they grow," said the principal, who has been with the school for two years.

The activity is not simply for fun. In a way, it is related to the school's subjects. For instance, the students are asked to put theory into practice, such as in growing plants.

"For kindergarten students we ask each of them to take care of one of the plants or animals he or she loves the most," he said.

Apart from school life, children can also be encouraged to appreciate their environment within their families.

"I introduce nature to my children through interesting stories, reading material or movies. Drawing or coloring plants and animals is a very good way to make children feel close to their surrounding environment," said Herawati, the mother of Irsan Farhan.

To enjoy a real encounter with nature, children can be taken to interesting places, such as villages, beaches, lakes, forests or rivers during their holidays. Teachers and parents can take the opportunity to tell stories about why such places are nice to visit, point out features in the natural settings and enjoy the fresh air. Parents and teachers can then ask children to compare it with the city where pollution is high, rivers are dirty and garbage is everywhere. After that, the children can hear about the impact that pollution and dirty rivers have on them.

An observer of environmental education, Mubarik Ahmad, once said there was a group of nature lovers who introduced nature in this same way to elementary school students.

"The students were taken for a visit to the Manggarai floodgates in South Jakarta and the Pluit dam, which is filled with garbage. The students were then asked to take a sample of some water to analyze at school, which they did by filtering the water repeatedly until it was clean," Mubarik said during a recent discussion on nature conservation education at an early age in Jakarta.

He said that the students were later taken to the upper part of the Ciliwung river in Cibodas at the foot of Mount Gede Pangrango in West Java. Bottles consisting of the water previously taken from the rivers were then compared. Through this activity, students could see which samples were clean and which were not.

Another group of nature lovers, Klub Indonesia Hijau (Green Indonesia Club), said that people would enthusiastically embrace environmental education if it was related to daily activities in real life.

The group said that formal teaching methods inside the classrooms restrict students' creativity.

For that reason, the club has developed an environmental education concept, which goes by "learning while playing" as its motto.

The club's coordinator, N.M. Ruliady, said the method targets fifth and sixth grade students and has been introduced to 14 elementary schools in the Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands), including 01, 02 and 03 elementary schools on Kelapa island.

Every group discussion and activity is adjusted to local conditions and traditions.

Ruliady said children were more interested in playing and drawing. Through these activities, they can share or respect others' opinions, he added. "That's why we avoid competition. We find all drawings good, a form of creativity that should be respected."

Tips

At home or school:

* Turn off all lamps, radios, TVs or irons not in use to save energy.

* If water is not being used, turn off the taps. Repair leaky taps.

* Use paper wisely, including tissue paper and books. Use reusable cloths to clean furniture and use up every blank piece of paper.

* Avoid buying food that comes in disposable containers.

* Reuse or recycle books, newspapers, bottles or cans. Don't throw them in with your garbage. Instead, give them to scavengers to be recycled.

Plant trees around your house or schoolyard. Flowers attract insects and butterflies, while plants that bear fruit attract birds and other fruit-eating animals.

* Don't buy or take wild animals from the forest for pets.

While traveling or shopping:

* Try to go on foot or ride a bicycle to destinations that are not far. This will help save fuel, reduce air pollution and keep you healthy.

* Use paper bags to bring home shopping to avoid the excessive use of plastic bags. Bring shopping bags from home and reuse them at the grocery store.

* Throw garbage into waste disposal bins that are provided, or take your garbage home.

* When going to the beach or mountains, take the time to clean up after you have lunch.

* Obey regulations in the places you visit, such as not breaking tree branches or disturbing animals.

* Show you care about the environment and spread the word about respecting nature.