Helping children treasure the environment

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.