There is something truly valuable in bringing Nature to people, especially in the bustle of our modern daily life and, this being the main focus of the “Guardiões da Natureza”  (“Nature’s Guardians”), last Sunday was a successful day. During the afternoon of April 13, the Guardiões joined the ObservaRia, an event organized by the Municipality of Estarreja, at the Environmental Interpretation Center (CIA) of the BioRia. Through paintings and card games, young minds got to know the diversity of shapes and colors of the world of birds of the Ria de Aveiro.

The Ria de Aveiro, one of the most extensive wetlands in Portugal, is a complex lagoon system that on its way to the sea involves the most diverse habitats: forests, meadows, marshes, dunes and bocage areas are just some of them. This lagoon heritage, according to the Institute for Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), regularly receives more than 20,000 aquatic birds of about 180 species,  some only observable in summer, such as the purple heron. The Ria is of particular importance for migratory birds that inhabit swamp areas, the so-called “migratory paludículas”. For these, the Ria can serve simply as a transit zone or an important place of food and rest. For others, the Ria is synonymous with home, spending most of the year here. The Ria de Aveiro presents, for these reasons, an illustrious classification of Special Protection Zone (SPZ), according to Directive 79/409/EEC and also several Sites of Community Importance (SCI). The SPZs, established under the "Birds Directive", are intended to ensure the conservation of bird species, their habitats, eggs and nests.

The discovery of this new world began with a game with silhouettes that challenged participants to identify different emblematic species of the Ria de Aveiro. It followed a moment of ecology, where, by matching cards with different types of food - insects, fish, fruits, seeds and crustaceans - to the cards with species from the Ria, the children learned about the feeding of each one of these. Finally, an "illustration session" was made in an activity with natural paints created on the basis of water and cornstarch: the colors came out with the addition of spices, a red cabbage extract and an acid or base.  

The will to protect begins by knowing. The simplest and most valuable way to give life to a cause is to pass the message, making this act even more special when establishing intergenerational communication: when the message is passed from generation to generation. If the children of today do not know the biodiversity that surrounds us, there will be no future where it is protected. Teaching the youngest about nature is the first step to take care of it. 

The "Guardians of Nature" are part of the "Aveiro mais Verde" ("Greener Aveiro") project. The project counts on Santiago´s School Center, the Children's Center of Art and Quality  and the Municipality of Estarreja, the organizer of the event, as partners. The project also has the support of the Municipality of Aveiro and the Portuguese Institute for Sports and Youth - IPD, I.P.