SIGN UP FOR OUR By Wendy Anders
Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce, Facebook post.
In one the most biodiverse regions on the planet, kids in towns around Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Golfo Dulce are being encouraged to learn about and protect their coastal environment, reported the Public Security Ministry.
The Costa Rican Coast Guard has stepped up to the plate to provide environmental education as part of a larger vision of crime prevention activities, by encouraging children to stay in school and stay active in their communities.
The most recent round of activities was in La Mona de Golfito where 150 school kids got to climb aboard a boat that has been repurposed for environmental education, said the Ministry.
The out-of-service boat was outfitted by the Costa Rican Coast Guard as a coastal education museum thanks to help from the Costa Rican Federation of Fisheries (Fecop), said ministry officials.
Interspersed with messages on respecting and protecting natural resources, members of the Coast Guard said they also teach children basic security concepts and the importance of staying away from drugs.
On the boat painted with underwater scenes depicting the region’s rich marine life, children get some specifics on whale and dolphin migrations that make this region key for the sea mammals’ reproduction and survival.
Other issues discussed by the Coast Guard include responsible fishing, which is a big initiative in the Golfo Dulce region, sea turtles, and protecting other marine animals.
The Golfo Dulce region is home to the Nac Térraba Sierpe-Osa Wetlands protected area.
School kids in Costa Rica’s southern Pacific participate in the Coast Guard’s environment and security education program.
