UPLA and IFOP promote sea turtles’s conservation with schoolchildren from Valparaíso
July 5th, 2023
Within the framework of World Sea Turtle Day and Month of the Oceans, Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) and Universdidad de Playa Ancha (UPLA) joined the task of disseminating these, highly migratory and human activity threatened marine reptiles conservation.
At Escuela Pablo Neruda in Valparaíso, in 6th to 8th grade students, teachers and authorities from participating institutions presence, UPLA TV channel presented an audiovisual piece, based on IFOP’s and Costa Rica’s Fundación Marviva, funded by United States National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, aimed at reducing Eastern Pacific leatherbacks incidental capture in the longline fisheries of northern Chile project .
On the occasion, it was highlighted that there are 7 sea turtles species in the world, which Chile and Costa Rica share 5, such as “Laúd” turtle, whose main cause of threat of extinction lies in incidental fishing, oceans pollution, tourism activities and illegal shell trade. This species is born in Costa Rica and travels to Chile to feed and grow for 8 years, and then return to the Caribbean to reproduce.
“That is why it is very relevant that children learn about these animals, what is their importance, ecological role and that, in addition, in Chile we have several species of sea turtles, which are native. Therefore, we also have a responsibility to be able to conserve them”, said Patricia Zárate IFOP head of Ecosystemic Approach of Highly Migratory Resources Monitoring project,.
From Universidad de Playa Ancha, , Dr. María José Díaz, Environmental HUB researcher coastal ecosystems specialist, who together with Zárate spoke with the audience about sea turtles conservation, highlighted the relationship with schoolchildren. “From its mission, HUB is linked from science to the community and school communities are a fundamental part. One of the projects we have, which is the Environmental Observatory, it motivates us to connect with the territory from our research, in my case from marine ecology and coastal ecosystems in Valparaíso region and throughout Chile”.
A playful closeup
In the activity, Eva Soto Engineering Sciences Sustainability Department Director which belongs to the Engineering Faculty, playfully asked the audience questions about the video’s content, bringing students closer to the subject. “Our participation is associated with one of development’s priority lines related to natural resources and flora and fauna presence, in this case marine fauna, together with valuing these reptiles that accompany us from Arica to Magallanes, through a playful methodology”.
In this sense, Galileo Martínez from 8th grade, evaluated the activity positively. “I think it’s good, because we need to closely approach these instances as children to learn this type of things, about caring for the environment and specifically for turtles.”
Finally, Mariangela Vignolo from school’s Technical Unit head, , affirmed that shared material and contents opens a huge door to the students knowledge. “That they arrive at the school (the institutions), allows them to get involved and to learn more, it allows them to open up a world of possibilities. So, that IFOP and Universidad de Playa Ancha University arrive at the establishment facilitates the approach to the world, because by themselves it is very difficult to be there directly”.
The meeting with the schoolchildren was attended by Catalina Rojas UPLA’s dean, Gonzalo Pereira IFOP’s Executive Director and Evelyn Pérez Escuela Pablo Neruda School’s director.
Source : Uplacomunica
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