The Vigilantes of the Environment have returned to Aveiro!
Over the past few months, the Guardiões da Natureza have been spotted in the city park and the Aveiro Ecocentre, where they brought up in their sleeve many experiments with the aim of encouraging the young generations to protect the environment!
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© Helder Berenguer
The “Guardiões da Natureza” (Nature’s Guardians) are always on the hunt for new opportunities to protect the biodiversity and the planet Earth, bringing with them a set of enriching activities ready to raise awareness and educate children of all ages. Their last sightings occurred on 10th and 11th June, during the 2023 edition of "EcoAventura" and on 29th July, where they participated in another weekend of "Atividades no Ecocentro".
"EcoAventura" is an annual event organised by the Aveiro City Hall that aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable development and environmental protection. One of the most popular activities was "Microcosmos", where the “Guardiões da Natureza” set up an observation station consisting of a digital microscope and invited the most curious ones to get to know a universe that is normally invisible to our eyes, revealing the dangers of the “invisible” contaminants such as microplastics and synthetic microfibers, more and more common in the oceans and in our beaches.
For the ones that enjoy getting their hands dirty, there was also plenty of time for preparing small “Bolinhas de Sementes” (Seedbombs), where the participants learnt about the power of seeds and their importance in forest regeneration. With the help of our volunteers, the children put together a mixture of soil, clay and seeds of edible plants, ready to bring them back home and plant them.
By the full heat of summer, the “Guardiões da Natureza” came out of their hiding again with the activities “Segredos do Solo” and “Mergulhos Ácidos” to invade the Aveiro Ecocentre for a weekend of “Atividades no Ecocentro” in collaboration with Veolia, the company responsible for the sustainable management of residues in Aveiro.
During "Segredos do Solo" (Secrets of the Soil), a group of young detectives tried to unravel the mysteries of soils. This experience allowed them to learn that soils are not all the same and how their behaviour promotes the natural filtering of pollutants and contaminants.
In turn, during the "Mergulhos Ácidos" (Acidic Divings) the influence of ocean acidification on the various aquatic species was demonstrated, especially on corals and beings that use shells as their homes. During this experiment, which had seawater, vinegar and seashells as the main ingredients, many questions were asked by the participants, who showed great curiosity about how we can save our oceans.
The participation of the “Guardiões da Natureza” in "EcoAventura" and "Atividades no Ecocentro" stood out for their immersive environment, as well as for the interactive and educational approach of the volunteers who promoted the activities. In this way, a renewed interest in the environment and climate action was awakened in the participants, encouraging them to become a new generation for the protection of the environment!
The “Guardiões da Natureza” is part of the project "Plantar o Futuro" by Agora Aveiro. It was supported by the Câmara Municipal de Aveiro and IPDJ - Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude I.P..
Carlos Correia