Education to Protect our Natural Heritage

During the months of February and March, 25 festivals honoring the Earth have been celebrated in communities within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve or in zones of influence in neighboring states. Participants in these Earth Festivals included 4,442 people from 25 communities and 40 schools.
In each festival, the environmental educators of Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda IAP (GESG) led participants in interactive activities designed to promote reflection and engagement. These activities included singing songs with environmental themes, an interactive theater work with life-size puppets titled "Emergency on planet Earth", and a short debate on environmental issues.
The schools contributed to the program of festivities through presentations on the theme of conservation, the exhibition of posters and, in some cases, theater works written and acted by teachers and students.
Meanwhile, parents of students created culinary demonstrations of dishes typical to their regions using local ingredients such as prickly pear cactus pads, tortillas of many colors made from different types of corn, and flowers from wild plants such as yuccas, oak trees, and agaves, all accompanied by delicious salsas and traditional beverages made from local ingredients. All told, these culinary exhibitions provided exquisite, healthy meals for participants.
To close out the festivities, educators from GESG passed out educational materials, such as posters with information on environmental themes (ecosystems, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and recycling) and, as a way to reward participating schools, handed out piñatas meant to promote healthy eating and other prizes.
The principal objective of these Earth Festivals is to promote regional identity in the Sierra Gorda as a way of strengthening the local culture of conservation. GESG's support in carrying out these events is critical for giving students and adults an opportunity to reflect on the importance of conserving the many ecosystems found within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.
Participants indicated that events such as these are critical to continue building environmental awareness at a time when the planet is in a state of environmental crisis due to negative human impacts, but while there is still time to act and spread the message about the importance of grass-roots conservation efforts.
Some attendees shared the actions they will take to protect the environment, including adults who will teach their children about the importance of respecting all forms of life, no longer burn trash so as not to pollute the atmosphere, conserve water, and invite more community members to join efforts to protect the planet. School children, meanwhile, indicated that they would try to get the support of their parents to prevent the overuse and contamination of natural resources, and teens promised to learn more about how to care for the environment in order to improve life in their communities.
School teachers pledged to continue learning about environmental actions they can bring to the communities where they work. They also indicated that they were grateful for the support of GESG in carrying out environmental activities because it allows them to assure that children and communities are being educated on environmental themes and that they feel responsible for caring for the environments, all of which results in better and more frequent community activities and healthier and more sustainable lifestyles that are less consumerist and more amenable to conservation and participation in community development.
We are grateful to all of you for the support that you have given to these communities in their struggle to preserve Mexico's natural heritage.

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