How Do You Say “Carbon” in Twi?

Back from an inspiring trip to Ghana – where she shared lessons on climate and conservation with local students and teachers – Rainforest Alliance education manager Maria Ghiso recounts her experience…

“There is carbon in the atmosphere, run, run, run…” Students are chanting these words and clapping and laughing as they play an adaptation of musical chairs created by teachers in Ghana to help students understand the carbon cycle.

For three days, the Rainforest Alliance team has been working with a dynamic group of teachers from Ghana’s Western Region, sharing lessons on the carbon cycle and the role that trees play in climate change.  During the workshop, we analyze observed changes in climate, graph real world data of historical carbon concentrations in the atmosphere, talk about the world’s forests and look at Ghana’s changing forest landscape.  To bring theoretical concepts into practice, participants measure the amount of carbon stored in trees around the workshop site.

Today, teachers are putting their learning into action and leading activities for 100 students in a school in Adaikrom.  I am sitting in the back of a classroom listening to one of the teachers lead an activity about the value of forests, watching the students volunteer more ideas about why trees are important and add to the growing list on the blackboard.  Another set of students uses a carbon meter to make the invisible carbon dioxide a little more tangible, measuring the carbon produced by their breath and the exhaust from a car.

This moment is by far my favorite part of the trip.  I am enjoying spending time with this committed group of students, who came in on a Saturday to help their teachers and continue to learn.  It is inspiring to watch these educators, clearly in their element, put into practice concepts we learned only hours ago — concepts that they will continue teaching throughout the school year.  They will also help to share our curricula with other educators at their school and will participate in community meetings about climate change.

We have used these lessons in classrooms in Colombia, Ghana, Guatemala and the US.  Now, you can use them, too – we’ve added new, free climate curricula to the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site.

Do you want to learn more about cocoa farming in Ghana? Check out our new third grade unit, and share it with the budding environmentalists in your life.

Creating a New Generation of Environmentalists

Every year, our education team works with schools in the US and abroad to help students explore their community’s environment and connect with communities around the world. This school year, we are working with 16 schools in Jacksonville, Florida to teach math, language arts, social studies and science through the exciting lens of the environment.

Get Outside to Celebrate National Environmental Education Week!

Spring is in the air, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and this week is National Environmental Education Week!  Take advantage of the beautiful spring weather and get kids outside to explore the nature in their neighborhood.  Invite students to search for signs of life around their school and home — such as birds, animal tracks, scat, feathers, nests, different types of trees and grasses — and write down their findings and draw pictures in a nature journal.

Then, start to think about how these species are related to each other.  One way that species are interconnected is through the web of life.

What species would you find if you took a walk in a tropical forest?  How are the unique species living in rainforests connected to each other through the food web?

Ask students to choose a different animal or plant species and research its diet, habitat and threats.  Then, have students stand in a large circle and use a string or a rope to represent the links between each person. One person starts by saying the name they chose and then the class works together to determine how that plant or animal is connected to another organism in the circle. The rope is then passed to that organism. The goal is to finish with a web that connects everyone.

Think you understand this web of life?  Play Rainforest Survival Challenge to test your knowledge of predators and prey in the Amazon.

This lesson and others can be found for free on the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site.

Tips for a Green Halloween

With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s time to prepare for the inevitable rush of trick-or-treaters by stocking up on chocolate, adding devilish decorations to your home and choosing a creepy costume. We’ve put together six tips for a green Halloween to help you enjoy a sustainable and spooky holiday…

1. Choose Rainforest Alliance Certified™ chocolate for Halloween treats. Farmed on over 18 million acres (7 million hectares) of tropical land, cocoa farming supports some five million families. Unfortunately, many of these cocoa farmers live in poverty and feel pressure to cut down forests to open up fields and grow cocoa more intensively. To help support healthy farmlands, forests and wildlife habitat — as well as the well-being of farm workers and their communities — look for chocolate that features the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal! Find certified chocolate here.

2. Make demonic decorations from Rainforest Alliance/Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper and cardboard. FSC certified wood products come from well-managed forests that protect wildlife habitat as well as the rights and well-being of forest workers. You can find FSC certified products at Staples, Office Depot and Home Depot. Find a full list of FSC certified products here.

3. Teach your kids where their favorite chocolate treats come from and how they impact people, wildlife and the planet: introduce them to our online Kids’ Corner; invite them to play Track it Back so they can see where cocoa is grown and how it is harvested; and let them explore the rainforest virtually with “Living in the Chocó Forests of Ecuador: The Chachi Cocoa Farmers.” [Brush up on your own knowledge about cocoa farming here.]

4. Get creative with your kids’ costumes instead of purchasing generic store bought outfits! There’s a good chance that you already have a number of items in your closet that can be altered (or paired with themed accents) to form the perfect Halloween costume. Can’t find anything inspiring at home? Then head to your local thrift store to find fun, funky used clothing and accessories.

5. Have your little ghosts and goblins collect candy in reusable containers. Even better, have them carry Rainforest Alliance reusable bags (your gift with a $50 donation) and they can promote our conservation work at every house they haunt!

6. Make terrifyingly tasty treats with Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate, bananas and coffee. Check out our list of “Haunted Halloween Recipes” and find out where you can pick up ingredients from certified farms.

The Climb to Cachalú

Maria Ghiso – education coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance – writes about a recent visit to Colombia’s Cachalú Biological Reserve. For a number of years, the Rainforest Alliance has been working to protect Cachalú’s gorgeous and diverse oak forest through a program that contributes funding to small conservation groups in tropical countries…

Our two-hour hike in the rain and mud was well worth it to reach the beautiful Cachalú Biological Reserve. This unique oak forest has been part of our Adopt-A-Rainforest program for many years.  Julianne Schrader, manager of the Rainforest Alliance’s education program, Al Stenstrup, director of education programs at Project Learning Tree, and I were spending the week with our Sustainable Agriculture Network partners at Fundación Natura. Andrés Avella from their research team was guiding us on our journey to Cachalú.

The oak forests of Cachalú.

As we drove through the Colombian countryside, we passed spectacular and awe inspiring peaks.  Making our way up and down windy mountain roads, we passed through various ecosystems, coffee plantations, mountain forests and the páramo – a hillside steppe dotted with distinctive plants called frailejones that are huddled together like people trying to keep warm.

After many hours of driving, the road came to an end — from here, we would walk.  We were met by Pepe, the administrator of Cachalú, and two horses that would bring our bags up the steep mountainside trails while we walked.  Part of the precious cargo included new batteries for the solar panels in Cachalú’s  biological station – the batteries were purchased with funds from Adopt-A-Rainforest donors.  That night, we would get ready for bed by candlelight and wait for the batteries to be installed the next morning.

From left to right: Pepe, Camila, Al and Maria.

I woke to a calm and quiet dawn, the perfect reprieve for my busy New York City state of mind.  After a delicious breakfast, we gathered our supplies and set out on our hike with Pepe, Andrés and Pepe’s adorable six year-old daughter Camila, my favorite tour guide.  As we left the station, Andrés pointed out Cachalú  – a green mountain in the distance covered with trees.

Cachalú Biological Reserve was created to protect the Andean oak forests and the unique flora and fauna found there.  Before being designated a natural preserve, the area was part of a large cattle ranch; the biological station, where we were staying, was once the hacienda where the owner lived with his family.  The land where Cachalú stands was originally slated to be logged, but because of its distance from the main road, was  protected from further development until it became a nationally recognized reserve.

The team passed frailejones on the hike to Cachalú.

As we hiked deeper into the forest, we were surrounded by lush bromeliads, ferns, palms and other plants and shaded by the green canopy.  I was amazed at the way Camila navigated the narrow trails with speed and agility;  I walked the same trails with so much caution.  “She loves joining us on hikes,” her father told us.  She knew exactly where we were, could lead us back to the biological station, and even pointed out berries and edible plants to me along the way.

I could hear the bubbling sound of water nearby.  We passed by rivers, streams and waterfalls and the waters turned brown as we got closer to the area where the Andean oaks were.  The water was not polluted, but instead colored with natural tannins found within the bark of these majestic trees.

As we continued our hike, we saw that some of the trees were marked off and identified.  These are part of a research study conducted by Fundación Natura in various parcels of the reserve to study the growth of tree species and natural succession in this forest type.  The research team is also studying restoration and sustainable management of these forests as well as the growth rate of specific plant species.

Camila points out berries.

I felt a few raindrops and reached for my coat as we made our way back toward the biological station.  The sound of the raindrops hitting the leaves made for a peaceful backdrop. Camila sweetly pointed out a few roots in our path and held my hand as I carefully step over them.  I thought about how much fun she was having on our hike and it reminded me of the importance of getting kids out into nature to observe and explore the world.

Upon our return, Andrés and Pepe showed us the tree nursery with saplings of tree species found in the reserve that they are nurturing to plant back in the forest.  Camila’s mom waited with some juice and listened to her daughter recount the stories of our morning as we thumbed through a book with the birds of Colombia.  We looked at the photo of the distinctive cock-of-the-rock and although we didn’t see that bird, I felt lucky to have heard its song echoing through the forest.

Interested in contributing to conservation efforts in the Cachalú Biological Reserve? Take part in our Adopt-a-Rainforest program to support Cachalú and other deserving conservation initiatives.

Teachers Embrace Environmental Education

In honor of World Teachers’ Day, Maria Ghiso — the Rainforest Alliance’s education program outreach coordinator — blogs about her recent trip to meet with a group of eco-conscious teachers in Colombia…

Teachers are a special group of people.  I have met teachers from all over the world and no matter where I find myself, I am always awed by their passion and commitment.  Not only do they work to shape the minds of future generations, they also play a leadership role within their communities.

Earlier this month, Julianne Schrader – manager of our education program – and I had the pleasure of working with a truly wonderful group of teachers in Colombia.  Together with Project Learning Tree, we were there to help support the work of our colleagues and friends at Fundación Natura, a locally based nonprofit and a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Network. During the week, we led two workshops — one in San José de la Montaña  (part of the Department of Boyacá) and one in Encino (part of the Department of Santander), a community outside of the beautiful Cachalú Biological Reserve. [Editor’s note: Maria will be sharing a blog about her trip to Cachalú later this week.]

In Encino, we were joined by 30 teachers from nearby schools.  We spent the day sharing experiences and resources for teaching environmental education.  We discussed activities for working with young students, looked for shapes in the environment, and incorporated music and movement as we danced with leaves.  We learned about the parts of a tree and how they function to help the tree live and grow.  We looked at the distribution of the forests of the world in comparison to the population of the world, and we talked about climate change and discussed the role forests play in the global climate.

We also addressed the fundamentals of environmental education – beginning with awareness, sharing knowledge and skills, and inspiring action.  Teachers worked in groups and created a map of changes they would like to see in their schools.  Many dreamed of greening their classrooms and schools, and adding more plants and trees in and around their school sites. 

As a group, we planted trees to be left and cared for at the school.  It was a symbolic gesture that represented the group’s commitment to the environment.  The teachers were very motivated by the activities and the resources we shared during the workshop.  We encouraged them to work to make some elements of their plans for greening their school a reality.

Inspired by the Rainforest Alliance’s work to spread environmental education around the world? Share our Learning Site resources with teachers in your community, and introduce the children in your life to our Kids’ Corner. Want to do more? Support our work by making a donation today.

5 Tips for a More Sustainable School Year

Start the school year right with our five green tips for supporting the environment and cutting costs.

1) A Better “Brown Bag” Lunch

• Pack your children’s lunches in reusable containers and invest in a few reusable water bottles. Fewer bags, disposable containers and plastic water bottles mean less waste that winds up in landfills.
• Ask your kids’ schools to source sustainable foods for cafeteria lunches, including locally grown and Rainforest Alliance Certified™ produce. [Are you a college student? Then check out our resources to help you get Rainforest Alliance Certified goods and services on your campus.]
• Pack fruit and fresh veggies instead of chips – they’re healthy alternatives that save on wasteful packaging and processing.
• If your school has a garden, suggest that they collect organic material and create fertilizer from lunchtime waste.

2) Conscientious Commuting

• Have your kids walk or ride their bikes to school. It’s a great way to reduce carbon emissions from driving while incorporating physical activity into their daily routine.
• If you live too far from the school and walking or biking isn’t an option, consider having your kids take the school bus.
• Is driving a must? Try to arrange a carpool with other parents. Doing so can minimize emissions and gas costs.

3) Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

• Remind your kids to use both sides of the page when they’re writing or printing.
• Choose recycled and/or Forest Stewardship Council/Rainforest Alliance Certified paper for printers, notebooks and other paper needs.
• Recycle paper waste at home, and check to see if your kids’ schools recycle, too.

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In addition to providing educational resources to parents and teachers, the Rainforest Alliance also works to ensure that the children of workers on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and forests have access to education. [Daisy Akiru, pictured here, attends a school on a Rainforest Alliance Certified tea farm in Kericho, Kenya.

4) Sustainable School Supplies

• Save money (and trees) by purchasing textbooks secondhand.
• Don’t throw away old text books — sell or donate them instead.
• Try to use school supplies from last year; many are probably still perfectly good.
• Purchase refillable pens and pencils.

5) Environmental Education

• For fun and educational games, activities, stories and forest facts, check out the “Kids’ Corner” on the Rainforest Alliance website.
• If your kids love the rainforest, treat them to the Rainforest Survival Challenge, a fun and educational iPad app.
• Tell your kids’ teachers about the Rainforest Alliance’s free curriculum, available for grades K through 8.

Take it Outside

Searching for ways to keep your kids learning this summer, without missing the opportunity to enjoy the warm weather? A few fun activities to get them outside, engaged with their environment, and excited about education…

• BioBlitz. Ask your kids to search for signs of wildlife in their neighborhood on three separate occasions over the course of a week. The goal: to record every plant and animal within a designated area, identifying those that are common and those that are rare.
• Impression Poem. Invite your charges to find a place outside the house that interests them, and sit there for a few minutes. While there, they should pay close attention to the sights, sounds, smell and feel of the place. Then, have them write a short poem about the place that uses sensory images, landmarks, weather observations, sounds and more.
• Nature Journal. Go for a nature walk with your children, inviting them to collect leaves, flowers, petals, feathers and other lightweight objects along the way. When you get home, they can slide the items between two sheets of parchment paper and begin making a nature journal. Consider making it a summer-long project and adding to the journal periodically.
• Leaf Art. Get outside again, and ask your kids to hunt for pretty dried leaves, twigs or seeds. They can use their found objects to create designs of rainforest animals on construction paper. Another option: leaf and bark rubbings.
• Online Games and More. On the hottest summer days, let the kids stay cool inside and explore the Rainforest Alliance’s online resources. Our comprehensive Learning Site features virtual storybooks, online games, virtual rainforest visits, cool facts about plants and animals, and more.

Check out Rainforest Alliance staffer Anna Clark’s blog on ecomii™ for more adult ideas for keeping cool and sustainable this summer.

Save the Frogs Day: A Call to Protect Our Favorite Little Amphibians

Today marks the 3^rd annual Save the Frogs Day. Find out why the Rainforest Alliance is celebrating…

Here at the Rainforest Alliance, frogs are especially close to our hearts. The little green frog is our unofficial mascot, and we feature it prominently on the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal and the Rainforest Alliance Verified™ mark. For conscientious consumers, the frog is a symbol of sustainability – a guarantee that a product contains ingredients that were grown or harvested with respect for people, wildlife and the environment.

Considering our connection to the frog, it’s only natural that we whole-heartedly support efforts to conserve these incredible creatures, whose populations have been declining at unprecedented rates. The causes of their decline are numerous. Among them: infectious disease, habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, over-harvesting and climate change. (Sadly, frogs aren’t the only amphibians under threat. Close to one-third of the world’s amphibian species are at risk of extinction and nearly 200 species have disappeared since 1980.)

Pictured: Red-eyed tree frog. Credit: Cory Thomas.

What makes frogs special enough to be the centerpiece of the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal and the Rainforest Alliance Verified mark?  Well, frogs are considered an “indicator” species, meaning that the health of frog populations is believed to be demonstrative of the health of the biosphere as a whole.  Frogs have porous skin that can easily absorb toxic chemicals, making them especially vulnerable to environmental disturbances — and,  as a result, accurate gauges of environmental stress. They’re also a vital part of the food chain – adult frogs eat huge quantities of insects, while providing a vital food source for an number of predators.

Join the Rainforest Alliance today, as we celebrate Save the Frogs Day! Not sure what to do? Check out Planet Green’s great list of 7 ways you can save the frogs. And remember…selecting products bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal is a great way to ensure that your choices are positively impacting the environment, and the people and wildlife (frogs included!) that depend on it.

Learn more about what the Rainforest Alliance is doing to protect biodiversity  around the globe. Read more about Save the Frogs Day.

Bringing Conservation Curriculum to Guatemalan Communities

The Rainforest Alliance’s education team just returned from a trip to Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, where they hosted workshops for a group of local educators.  Curious about some of our work with teachers in the region? Watch a video of the Rainforest Alliance’s education manager Julianne Schrader, taken on an earlier trip to the region!