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Newsletter and Technical Publications CHAPTER 4. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 4.4. Environmental Education 4.4.4. Selection of Educational Materials Educational material for children and young people should be selected with great care. Information contained in course books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc., presented in a short form and complemented by photographs, figures, and diagrams must not give the impression of being arranged in a chaotic or accidental way. It is the essence that logic and order be kept. Educational material for children should be richly illustrated. Colour photographs draw the eye of children and enhance their interest. Films about the environment and slide demonstrations are educational material, which are also worth mentioning. At the national and regional levels, mass media and commercial advertising stand the best chance of being effective. These include the use of newspapers, journals, television, radio, electronic notice boards, etc. Of particular note here is the powerful potential impact of radio. Levels of radio ownership are high almost everywhere, even in the poorest communities, and this can allow the same message to be communicated to very large numbers of people concurrently at very low cost, thereby having the potential to change behaviour quickly. Where radio campaigns, or better still "soap opera" style programmes containing the required messages are backed with strong political support, changes, at least in terms of understanding the problem, can be widespread. In general, the potential impact of mass media communications tends to be overestimated, largely for the reason that these methods rarely require a response from the target group. Video and television are excellent media joining picture, sound, colour and motion. They are popular, reach large audiences, and may be used at any place or time. Demonstrations of high quality slides, in a properly arranged sequence and with adequately selected comments, have great educational value. They help to assimilated and memorize various topics. Radio programmes and computer games concerning environmental problems have similar educational value but in some cases different radio programmes will involve more public participation. Educational magazines for children and adults, containing articles, stories, games and crosswords on environmental issues, which help enrich knowledge, should also be mentioned. Similarly, newsletters, which provide information about current events that have environmental implications, are important educational materials. They can be used to inform readers about ongoing studies and projects. In addition, they invite the general public and young people to think and take actions on environmental issues. They may serve as an advocacy tool on specific matters about nature conservation. Magazines and newsletters are usually commonly available in newsstands and in libraries. Example: Walia Magazine to Better Understand Our Natural Resources (Western Africa) Walia was the IUCN educational programme in Mali lead by a 24-page magazine published three times a year. Today, the magazine still has specific readers: secondary school pupils from 13-18 years of age. The programme that evolved from the magazine on "how to get a better understanding of our environment", which was provided to 25 target schools as a first step. One of the key strengths of the magazine is its style. Illustrations, regular headings, boxes and simple language promoted its accessibility. Ample attention is paid to suggestions by pupils and teachers. Subsequent issues are always devoted to a single major topic. The magazine is carefully and logically planned.
Subject matters reflect the immediate surroundings of the readers. Each issue is devoted to a single major topic such as wetlands, arid zones, water, trees, etc. A familiar form of address directly involves the reader and creates a sense of closeness and a need to react. Walia's approach to environmental education (EE) combines traditional and modern knowledge, skills, and practices. The idea behind the central instrument is that children play a crucial role in mobilizing their communities around environmental issues. Students are encouraged to make surveys and organize contests. Student surveys, together with letters, help to define topics to be dealt with in future issues of the magazine. Recommendation: participation is the key issue for the success of any project or programme. Because the magazine is very often the only written document in a school and becomes a valued teaching aid, more educational material was developed. Twice a year, the Walia team visited 25 schools in order to make interactive presentations. During these presentations, a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere was created, offering an opportunity to escape from the usually rigid schedule in the schools. Having discussed specific issues of environment or natural resources at the school, the children start interacting within their communities. Village leaders and traditional media play an important role in reinforcing the message. This message thus becomes relevant and accessible to the whole community, both literate and illiterate people. Concrete action around natural resources management and structural involvement of young people is the final step in the process. Recommendation: Make the links both with modern and traditional leaders and use as possible traditional communication paths that are recognized by the population at large. Environmental education may be conducted in many different ways. According to the nature of the group of persons who are to be trained, the geographical conditions, the availability of the benefits of civilization, etc., education takes various forms and uses a whole spectrum of techniques/instruments. In addition to the education conducted by specialized teaching staff in schools or universities, the use of traditional rites and media (e.g., ceremonies, folklore) are also valuable. Traditional media are a very effective way to transfer messages, particularly in rural areas. Traditional ceremonies often link to environmental issues and take into account the history of the area and the perception and relationship of the people and the environment. Stories may encompass a wide range of topics. The tales or legends told by elders can serve as a means of transferring feelings of respect and appreciation for animals, forests, and wildlife. Various forms of visualization of environmental messages also have educational values. They include posters transmitting information by means of a drawing and short text. When prepared in a professional way they carry great informative potential. Similarly school newspapers and exhibitions have education value. Not that they only present works of professional artists, but also works of children and young people. To provide free access to posters and exhibitions, these are placed in commonly available places, such as schoolyards, corridors, etc., everywhere where the largest number of children can see them. (continued)
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