Every February 2, World Wetlands Day is celebrated, to commemorate the date the Convention on Wetlands was adopted, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. This year is special, because it is 50 years old which is considered the first modern environmental treaty. The theme that has been chosen this time is: Wetlands and water.
Surely your son or daughter will discuss this topic at school, but we want to give you some ideas to complete their information. Because the environmental educationIt is not only a matter of the classrooms. We propose you some activities and organized visits to the wetlands in your area, on the occasion of this day.
Explain in a simple way what wetlands are
Wetlands they are fundamental for the existence of balance in the Earth's ecosystems. When you explain its importance to your children, do not forget to talk to them about the concept of ecological connectivity. And it is that all ecosystems are interconnected. They serve as habitats for a great variety of species of microorganisms, flora and fauna.
Wetlands they are an ecosystem with great biological diversity. Thanks to them the water and climate cycle is regulated. They are also generators of water resources for the supply of fresh water. Other services that wetlands give us are the filtration of water and the storage of carbon and other polluting elements.
Some of the types of wetlands that exist are, the marshes, which are not always full of water and contain fresh water, salt water or a combination of the two; the swamps, the swamps that can be surface or underground water, the lagoons, lagoons, lakes and other variants.
Didactic activities for children of Primary and Secondary
We have chosen some activities and didactic units developed by the Sustainable Development Council of the Castilla-La Mancha Community Board, because you can access them freely, through their website, and they will help you explain to your children the importance of wetlands. It will also help you to better understand the reality of the wetlands of this community.
The activities are aimed at boys and girls of 5th and 6th grade of Primary Education and all Secondary courses. Its objective is to know the values of the humid areas, the threats they face and how they are being protected, by appearing on the list of Protected Natural Areas and the Natura 2000 Network.
Children can see a informative video with the special characteristics of wetlands of the province of Albacete. There is a virtual flash game, with several associated educational cards so that the whole family can participate. On the YouTube channel you will find the story A new forest.
Outdoor or online activities for Wetlands Day
Through the ramsa.org website, you will get to the events that take place on this day. You can find out what activities will take place in your community. To do this you will have to display the area location tab, putting Europe first, and then Spain. At the moment there are 21 organized events, but surely there are more that have not yet registered.
For example, one of these outdoor activities is bird ringing in the Albufera de Adra wetlands, in Almería, which will take place on Saturday, February 6. This same day there is a guided tour and bird watching in the Cordobilla reservoir, Córdoba, by environmental volunteers in collaboration with the ENEA association. All these departures are made under COVID security measures.
But your children can also participate in this day sending your drawing or photographs of the Wetland of the Vega de Astrabudua, in Vizcaya. The drawings will be posted on the Facebook wall, and the one that I like the most will receive a gift. Via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram your children and you can see together the exhibition of photographs old, from before 1970, of the Janda lagoon. We hope that with all these resources and initiatives you will get to know better the value of wetlands.