SNPA helps develop environmentally literate citizens |01 September 2020
The explorers relaxing at the summit
The Morne Seychellois National Park on Mahé provided the perfect setting for 10 future teachers to learn how to conduct field trips with their classes.
On Tuesday August 11, the trainee teachers from the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (Site), together with Miss Catherina from the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, spent a day in the National Park, exploring and learning.
The environment education course offered as a compulsory short course for Site students, seeks to provide opportunities for course participants to develop skills necessary to become environment education educators.
The eco school programme which is compulsory in all state schools and is also being implemented in private schools, encourages everyone in schools and the community to establish sustainability practices and learn to appreciate the importance of the environment and the sustainable development goals.
Equipped with books, ID guides, worksheets, hand lens and First Aid kit, the day started at the entrance to the Copolia trail at Sans Soucis. The group learned about the role of Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), the Morne Seychellois National Park, especially the Copolia trail. They learned about park regulations and the numerous benefits of protected areas. Using their ID guides they tried to identify as many endemic plants and animals that they could find, such as the country’s smallest frog Sooglosusgardineri and the Seychelles bulbul Hypsipetescrassirostris. The trail is aligned with many endemic plants, especially palms such as ‘Lantannyen fey’, ‘lat’ and ‘palmis’, ‘Bwa koulev’ and Pitcher plant.
SNPA’s education and outreach specialist described various lessons that could be undertaken in such area. Lessons on plant life cycles, birds, classification, monocot and dicot plants, soil, types of plant (native, introduced, endemic), biodiversity, ecosystem.
They also learned how to conduct lessons and activities in line with the eco school programme. Even the students had some bright ideas about possible lessons.
The group also discussed safety issues, especially bringing smaller kids into the forest.
They were also given the challenge of counting litters and graffiti along the way, issues that SNPA are dealing with.
After over two hours exploring, learning, smiling, taking pictures and some running away from harmless snakes, the team reached the summit. For many it was their first time along the 1.4km Copolia trail. The strong south east monsoon winds blowing at the 500m summit rendered the place chilly but the group “was only blown away” by the breathtaking view. The students were impressed with the vastness and flatness of the huge granite mountain.
After having lunch and relaxing under the newly built shelter at the top, the team made their way back to where it all started.
“Frankly everything that I saw, the breathtaking view, reminded me just how really beautiful our country is. I am not ready to forget this once in a life time experience,” described one of the students after the visit.
The students thanked SNPA for the memorable experience.
Contributed
