By Alabama Coastal Foundation | Staff
The Gulf Coast Bay Buddy Program (GCBBP) is well on it’s way toward becoming a bigger and better tool to educate youth of the Gulf Coast about the value of our local environment! Over the past months, we have been busy reviewing the current GCBBP, determining age appropriate content that correlates to State Department of Education Standards, designing new characters and having them illustrated by a professional illustrator, and gearing up for the new school year!
This would not be possible without the support of individuals like you!
In light of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Release, ACF has taken pause to determine the best way to incorporate related information into the program. We are working diligently with local and regional partners to identify existing pertinent resources and adapt them if necessary to better serve the Gulf Coast audience. We know that locals students have a lot of questions and concerns about what is happening in the Gulf and we want to make sure that our education initiatives help them understand the role they can play in protecting our natural resources.
After evaluating existing no-cost enrichment programs in the state, ACF has further evaluated and adapted the previously identified goals of the program. The revised goals are as follows:
The primary goal of the Gulf Coast Bay Buddy Program is to teach basic conservation principles to elementary students with an emphasis on connections between human activities and the natural world. Important components include laying a foundation for: 1) an understanding of services provided to humans by local ecosystems 2) an understanding of ways in which human activities can affect local and regional ecosystems 3) an understanding that humans have the responsibility to choose activities that do not pose negative threats to the local and regional ecosystem
These components will result in: 1) Increased personal responsibility related to environmental protection 2) Increased awareness of human connectivity to the natural environment 3) Increased stewardship of local ecosystems through responsible decision making
Secondary goals of the GCBBP include: 1) Fostering appreciation for local species through pre- and post-visit projects and activities 2) Introducing specific coastal habitats and the services they provide to humans and other animals 3) Encouraging special environmental projects for individual schools through pre-and post-visit activities, including assisting with garnering funds for these projects 4) Providing all of the above in an interesting, interactive, and age-appropriate format.
If you have any input on the revised goals or would like to get further involved in the GCBBP revision process, please email akeene@joinacf.org. Thank you again for your support of conservation education initiatives in south Alabama.
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By Alabama Coastal Foundation | Project Staff
By Bethany Kraft | Executive Director
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