If you were not yet aware, this year, 2010, marks the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day. SO, happy celebrations for you about the earth. Tomorrow, April 22nd, is Earth Day in actuality. So you should do your part and help to protect the Earth, or just do ONE simple act to make you mark.
The 40th Earth Day’s theme this year is “The Green Generation.” This is marking the fact that people under 40, mainly generation X and Y, and in the US and Europe, have been generations that have grown up under the “Protect the Earth” mentality.
I think back to reading books during uni about how slowly but surely, the US became aware of the environmental degradation and impact that us humans have on the environment. Superfund sites, environmental awareness campaigns, and authors such as Rachel Carson helped to bring this issue to the limelight.
I am pretty proud to have grown up a part of this generation, and I am now able to use my accrued knowledge to help a place that is just now attempting to join the green movement in full force.
Recently, Morocco has signed a number of initiatives to “green up their act,” and have ever ministry do environment projects, and to report back to the government about them. Our Peace Corps Environment Staff has been inundated with calls and requests to help the various ministries.
In my own little world, over the past month, I have been involved in a number of projects relating to the environment and environmental education. Here is a run down for you!
EE Education in Schools:
Locally here, we are pushing towards a large event in early May, revolving around the theme of “Healthy Lifestyle Choices.” In general, these choices are health based, but having a clean environment certainly pertains to health and sanitation issues.
So, we have been going into both elementary schools and youth centers to push this curriculum, for example, brushing teeth and washing hands, as well as not smoking. On the environment side, we have been discussing environmental issues and then what ways the kids could help to minimize those issues, and help do their part.
Its been fun, as kids are always interested in funny looking foreign people who speak their language. They seem to be understanding all the ideas, and we will certainly follow up on this in the future.
All of the education leads up to a 5k run, where we will bring a bunch of people to run the race, and kids to be educated. Should be a great event!
EE Training of Trainers Workshop:
This past weekend, some volunteers on the other side of the province organized a Training of Trainers (TOT) dealing with environmental education. In Peace Corps terms, this was a “capacity building” workshop. That is, teaching others the skills needed, so that they can continue doing the work when you leave. The whole, teach a person how to fish etc. saying.
I was helping, and accompanied two people from an association that we are working with on the above Run. They have thus been helping with the EE education in the schools, but it is good to give them some more training on local environmental issues, and ways to address problems in their local areas.
It was a great workshop, with presenters from the Association of Science Teachers, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Water and Forests. The second day was the roundtable groups, where each group discussed an environmental problem, and came up with a plan to work on that problem with a local group, whether it be a class of students, or an Environmental Education Club.
The overall goal for me going was to learn and see how the event was put on, and bring this back to my side of the province. In addition, the two people that I accompanied will help to lead the workshop, and hopefully do some EE of their own locally.
Eco-Exhibition and Earth-Day Celebration in Rabat:
As I mentioned above, Morocco has a number of initiatives pertaining to the environment at the national level. Recently, Morocco was named an ambassador by Earth-Day network, and in doing so, became a hub for Earth-Day celebrations and funding.
The big attraction was in Rabat, and put together by Earth-Day Network , an organization based out of Washington, D.C. Earth-Day Network essentially brought together a bunch of national organizations, both private and government, to a large 5 day exhibition. At this exhibition, organizations talked about how they are striving to be environmentally friendly, in this era of “Green.”
So I agreed to volunteer, and help out Earth-Day Network at their booth at the exhibition. Essentially, I was helping people and students to register their “Acts of Green.” You should register yours by the way on their website above. HAHA nice advertising!
It was a great exhibition, we handed out books from Scholastic Company in Arabic about various animals and ecosystems. Props to Scholastic for that donation. Kids were so happy.
I got to talk to people, make connections, fumble through 4 languages, and watch kids smile. I was happy to be a part of the exhibition, and with that Peace Corps would have actually had a booth there for environment. It would have been very good networking!
Overall, I have enjoyed the past month, and the connections and progress I have seen and made on my own projects. It is super-fulfilling to see things pan out, and hopefully that trend will continue. Lastly, I think i have almost all of my planned activities for the rest of my service. I will detail those in a future post, and on the projects page (when I get that up!)
Much love, more to come soon!
Eric
PS. New Albums to Dig: The National, LCD Soundsystem, Hold Steady, Band of Horses, MGMT
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