The academic year 2018-19 began with the participation of A Rocha in the Week of Education and Initiatives of Volunteers in the Algarve – SEIVA, organised by the Portuguese Environment Agency, where we offered two activities in English.
In October, we were once again honored for our participation in Environmental Water Volunteers with the merit award and the designation of Project Ambassadors.
We started a new project “My Beach” with the indispensable help of Amigos d’A Rocha. This project is the responsibility of the Living Science Center of Tavira, our partner in the Environmental Education Equipment Network of the Algarve.
We visited the Rui Gracio Training Center in Lagos at the invitation of Professor Maria da Glória Paula to present our educational project and the activities we have available.
We visited the School of Mexilhoeira Grande, at the invitation of the teachers Maria José Monteiro, Maria Caipira and Daniela Ferreira, where we were able to show the importance of the Ria de Alvor and some of the secrets of its biodiversity in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years.
Professor Mílvia Fonseca from the Júlio Dantas School invited us to share some facts about microplastics to all of the 9th grade students and to leave them a message of hope and that it is possible, when we change daily behaviours that we will have a better environment and better public health for all.
We were invited by Professor Ingrid Oncken to be present at the German school in Silves to talk about the importance of the Wetlands in the Algarve and some groups of Invertebrates.
We also visited all the homes of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Lagos, where once again we were able to share our concerns about the increase of plastic in the sea, leaving some clues as to what they can do so that this number does not increase even more.
In our Center we received a total of 43 classes from the D. Martinho Castelo Branco schools; Technopolis; Gil Eanes; Bemposta; Naus and Mexilhoeira Grande and other groups such as IEFP in Portimão, University of Napier in Scotland, the Teacher Training Center in Portimão and Monchique, the New Discoveries Project, the seniors in the various homes of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia in Lagos, the University Biblical Group of Portugal and the ATL Group of Bordeira in Aljezur.
A big thank you to all our usual partners; Eng. Paula Vaz, Dr Sara Mira, Licínia Gouveia, Eng. Maria João Batista and all the teachers and educators who allowed these children and adults to get to know the Ria de Alvor, in particular the teachers Maria João Duarte; Alexandre Nunes; Vera Rolo; Filipa Bragança; Paula Banza; Margarida Correia; Luísa Fonseca; Ana Patrocínio; Anabela Diogo and Lena Soares, because we can not care if we do not love and we can not love if we do not know.