How To Commemorate World Environmental Education Day.

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Environmental Awareness through Education.


This date is deeply linked to international efforts to promote environmental awareness through education and training. The history of World Environmental Education Day begins in 1975, during the International Seminar on Environmental Education held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). At this seminar, experts from more than 70 countries met to discuss the importance of environmental education as a tool to address the planet's ecological problems.

One of the main outcomes of the seminar was the Belgrade Charter, a fundamental document that sets out the objectives, principles and guidelines for environmental education around the world. This document stressed the need to:

○ Promote ecological awareness.

○ Promote the active participation of society in solving environmental problems.

○ Emphasize global responsibility to ensure sustainable development.

Two years later, in 1977, the First Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education was held in Tbilisi, Georgia (then part of the USSR), organized by UNESCO and UNEP. At this conference, the principles established in the Belgrade Charter were consolidated, and environmental education was officially recognized as a global priority to address challenges such as pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.

Based on these historic milestones, January 26 was established as World Environmental Education Day, with the purpose of promoting learning, action and environmental awareness at all levels of society.

According to the principles established in Belgrade and Tbilisi, environmental education has the following objectives:

● Raising awareness: Increase people's understanding of environmental problems and their causes.

● Forming values: Fostering a relationship of respect and care for the environment.

● Promoting skills: Training people to address ecological problems creatively and effectively.

● Motivate action: Encourage active participation in solving local and global problems.

Today, World Environmental Education Day is an opportunity to reflect on how education can be an agent of change in the face of problems such as global warming, pollution and the loss of ecosystems. Activities such as workshops, seminars, reforestation campaigns and awareness programs are carried out in schools, communities and companies.

Environmental education not only seeks to inform, but also to transform attitudes and behaviors towards a sustainable coexistence with nature. This day reminds us that change begins with knowledge, and that empowering people with educational tools is essential to protect the planet.

World Environmental Education Day is, in essence, a call to learn, teach and act for a more sustainable future. The people of Puerto Vallarta, with their natural wealth and direct connection to the environment, have many creative and meaningful ways to celebrate World Environmental Education Day (January 26).

● Activity: Organize a community clean-up day on iconic beaches such as Los Muertos, Conchas Chinas or Boca de Tomatlán, as well as in protected mangroves. Impact: Help protect marine ecosystems and raise awareness about plastic and solid waste pollution.

● Spaces: Cultural centers such as Parque Los Mangos or local educational forums can offer workshops on topics such as:

○ Proper management of solid waste.

○ Conservation of marine biodiversity.

○ Impact of sustainable tourism in Puerto Vallarta.

● Target audience: Students, tourism companies and communities. Action: Plant trees in areas such as the Pitillal River Ecological Park or the banks of the Cuale River. Benefit: Promotes the recovery of green spaces, improves air quality and encourages practical education on the benefits of reforestation.

● Idea: Organize tours of the El Salado Reserve, where guides explain the importance of mangroves for environmental balance. Objective: Raise awareness among attendees about the ecological wealth of Puerto Vallarta and how to protect it.
Cultural centers, theme bars such as La Gata Foro Bar, or in the plaza in the center of the boardwalk, could be activated to project documentaries on the impact of pollution, climate change or marine biodiversity and thus, follow the screening with a discussion forum.

Programs in schools could help a lot, since they are essentially spaces for education. Dynamics and activities could be organized for children and young people, such as:

○ Drawing contests about the environment.

○ Creation of school gardens.

○ Creative recycling workshops.

Ecological markets could also be organized on the boardwalk or in Hidalgo Park, where local producers sell organic, biodegradable products and eco-friendly crafts. This promotes conscious consumption and supports the local economy.

Finally, I can think of creating educational spaces on social networks, launching digital campaigns to inform about the specific environmental challenges of Puerto Vallarta, such as the care of the El Salado mangrove or the importance of avoiding the use of plastics on beaches with videos, infographics and live broadcasts.

These activities are not only a way to celebrate World Environmental Education Day, but also to strengthen the relationship of the Vallarta community with its natural environment, inspiring long-term actions to protect the paradise they call home.