Children get a fun, green education

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 08/31/2007 1:57 PM

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Hundreds of elementary school students in Yogyakarta were recently introduced to important environmental and water issues in fun ways through the inaugural Merti Belik water resource festival.

Some 340 students took part in various activities designed to develop their knowledge of the environment and to equip them with information on their surrounding ecosystems.

""This event aims to teach environmental awareness from a young age,"" said event organizer and spokesman Purwono.

As principal of SDN Gondolaya state elementary school in Yogyakarta, Purwono said participating children would share experiences in the event and hopefully be able to change their habits to include ""healthy living"".

""We organized this event to involve children so they can learn through our games about the science of water and the environment,"" he said.

""Ultimately, a harmonious interaction between humans and the environment can create a harmonious life cycle.

""We need to learn to preserve water for the sake of living.""

During the event, hundreds of elementary school children, guided by activists from the Environmental Awareness Movement (GPL) and Environmental Service Program (ESP), dressed up in costumes depicting water symbols.

Their colorful costumes included a Colibuster (from E-coli bacteria) Monster, a water goddess and soldiers.

The children paraded their enviro-costumes through Gondolayu village in Lor Code Utara, Yogyakarta.

They stopped at Belik Wadon and Belik Lanang along Code River -- the river from which hundreds of people source their daily water.

The soldiers and the water goddesses defended the river and its water sources from the Colibuster Monster.

To familiarize the children with the river's ecosystems, they took water from different river sources to fill aquariums filled with miniature river fish, snails, shells and crabs.

To preserve water supplies, the children also were encouraged to protect the environment by symbolically replanting fruit trees along the river banks.

The Merti Belik Festival also taught children about the processes required to purify water.

Students were asked to carry out a practical study on the type of sand needed to purify water.

Dirty water was placed in a pail filled with sand on its bottom. The base of the pail was punched with several holes for the children to filter their water until it appeared reasonably clean.

""This (subject) can be confusing at school, but by learning through (these science games), we can learn and play,"" said SDN Gondolayu elementary school student, Andi Setiawan.

The children were also taught how rain materialized.

Together they boiled water in a vessel to produce steam.

They reheated the steam accumulated on the lid until water dropped.

""It's nice to learn ... while playing,"" said another student, Elea Nora Ramsey.

She said it was easier to understand the (active) lessons compared to the lessons she took in a classroom.

Ignasius Kendal from GPL said the event would open people's minds to active learning.

""We have coordinated with a number of schools and they (have said they would be interested to hold) a similar event,"" he said.

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