More information
Description
This project arises from the need for a greater and more responsible awareness of the problems of marine ecosystems which implies a progressive transformation of mentalities among school-aged people in the municipality of Esposende. By using the arts and keeping its focus on ocean literacy this non-formal and environmental education project, aims to promote the biological and ecological values present in the Parque Marinho do Litoral Norte in order to acknowledge its local and global importance, as well as the exploration of the concepts of diffuse pollution, marine waste, microplastics, ghost nets, overfishing, invasive species and climate change. Considering that ocean literacy means understanding the influence of the oceans on the population and the influence of the population on the ocean, the creation of a short story for young people on these themes was seen as added value in the educational process. This story will be illustrated, edited as a podcast in the book itself, published and distributed in libraries and schools in the county and neighboring counties.
TRANSformar thus intends to contribute to furthering the knowledge of the impacts on the oceans, resulting from human activities, and consequently, to the individual and collective commitment in mitigating the problems that affect the water bodies; to favor and consolidate the feeling of belonging in relation to the natural heritage and the acknowledgment of the importance of preserving marine habitats, and finally to promote affective and cognitive development in order to broaden experiences and the creative potential. The municipality established partnerships with the school groups António Correia de Oliveira and António Rodrigues Sampaio, which will enable greater articulation with the target audience. The partnership with "Esposende Ambiente" also brings added value due to its human resources in addition to the use of facilities and equipment.
Summary of project results
The TransFORMAR project – Ocean Literacy Project in Esposende was promoted by the Municipality of Esposende and the municipal company Esposende Ambiente, in partnership with the António Correia de Oliveira and António Rodrigues Sampaio School Groups. This project allowed the continuation of the educational work started with the development of the project OMARE – Marine Observatory of Esposende, with the objective of raising awareness of the importance that the Marine Park of the North Coast has in the conservation of Nature.
With this project it was intended to create an appealing educational tool dedicated to the knowledge of the oceans, in particular about marine resources and the problems that jeopardize their functions such as pollution, over-exploitation of resources, global warming, destruction of habitats and the introduction of exotic species.
The TransFORMAR project included the creation of a story dedicated to the Esposende sea and its various marine habitats, as well as the problems that currently jeopardize its balance.
The illustrated children''s tale “The wedding of Krappi” was published and edited as a podcast in the book itself and the 500 publications were distributed to libraries and schools in the county.
The story was also dramatized and transformed into a puppet theater play and is being presented by the technicians of the Environmental Education Center to the educational community.
From the beginning, the involvement and contributions of partners and service providers were considered vital, so work meetings were regularly held, resulting in the creation of a tale that portrays global problems, but which includes references to the reality of Esposende and makes known part of the local marine biodiversity less known to the public.
Throughout the project, 10 informative posts were prepared and published, dedicated to the main characters in the story, which came to add visibility to the project, publicize marine biodiversity and complement the prepared press releases.
The presentation of the puppet theater play to the target audience began at the end of May 2022 and to date 43 sessions have been held, involving more than 1700 participants.
The quantitative and qualitative assessments carried out by the participants allow us to conclude that the main objectives of the project were achieved, there is currently a greater perception of the diversity of habitats and biodiversity existing in the sea of Esposende and a better notion of the importance of our daily choices for the ocean sustainability.
Given the interest shown by the educational community and the community in general in relation to history, in particular the concepts and subjects addressed, the work initiated by the Educational Service of the Center for Environmental Education in the context of promoting ocean literacy will continue.