ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AS A TOOL OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND SOCIETY: ROSANA – SP EXPERIENCES

Abstract

Rosana is a town located at Pontal do Paranapanema, west of São Paulo state, between Paraná and Paranapanema rivers. It’s considered one of the poorest region in Sao Paulo state. Because of this, and seeking to contribute to an improvement of quality life and environment, this project was proposed in 2004, began in 2005 and ended in 2008. Its main purpose was to contribute to the development of environmental awareness by Rosana’s community, as a way to add value to improve the socioeconomic status of the population in a sustained way, particularly among students enrolled in primary and secondary city schools. The general objective was to develop environmental education activities by providing support to actions that were intended to raise awareness on the importance of conservation and environmental restoration in the city and its region. The specific objectives of the project were to develop awareness of the importance of the separation of household waste by the community, the organization of collectors to collect solid waste, promote environmental education in nature trails in the city and the development of commemorative activities for environmental dates. These actions were developed on four fronts: organization of information on selective collection of solid waste, community organization for separating solid waste at their houses, environmental education nature trail with lectures about the local ecosystem, lectures in schools with development of educational materials and guidance for teachers to work with the theme, and development commemoratives activities in dates dedicated to the environment, programming and planning activities carried out on each date. The results obtained were the attendance of 1,880 people in 28 lectures given at schools with environmental education activities, attendance of 750 people in nature trails and in the orchard at UNESP campus, preparation of annual calendar of dates alluding to environment and planting 400 seedlings of native species during the activities developed. Many waste pickers were also given attention. When UNATI (Open University of the Third Age) activities began, we developed hiking trail at Three Ramps and workshop about production and management of bonsai.