To continue training young Guardians of the Mangrove in Bahía Magdalena, we gave a workshop about plastic pollution as part of the waste separation campaign promoted by the ECOCE ECO Challenge in the primary and secondary schools of Santo Domingo, Baja California Sur.

Santo Domingo is an important community in the conservation efforts of Bahía Magdalena because it has direct contact with the Pacific coast and the mangroves present there. The ongoing campaign in the region promotes collecting, washing, separating, and depositing different types of plastic and metal waste. This not only benefits the schools, but also the community and its surroundings where neighbors and families learn through the children.   

The workshop we prepared was offered to students in all grades at both schools, and focused on distinguishing types of waste, plastics, the negative effects of the latter on the environment, how and why it’s important to separate waste, and the environmental services and goods our ecosystems provide. It took place on November 13th and 14th, 2019 in the State of Querétaro Primary School and Distance Learning School #15 Juan Domínguez Cota.

After this workshop, 30 students became Guardians of the Mangrove in Bahía Magdalena, for which they received a certification badge. The students now have the responsibility of sharing what they learned with their friends, families, neighbors, and other community members, all while carrying out this important work with enthusiasm and responsibility.

Instilling environmental awareness in children in the community is a step toward creating a sustainable community.