Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons and daughters of the earth...
we did not weave the web of life;
we are merely a strand in it.
whatever we do to the web,
we do to ourselves.
-Chief Seattle
Last summer, I decided to spend my thirtieth birthday in a totally different way. When one of my friends invited me to go trudging up the zenith of Mt. Asog, I readily agreed although warning bells were clanging somewhere at the back of my head. My decision was partly inspired by a bout of recklessness… something which is entirely alien to my personality.
The first few legs of the trek proved to be as exhausting but as rewarding as I thought it would be. We passed by acres of cultivated land, several of which were corn fields, coconut groves, undergrowths of unfamiliar and familiar vegetation and fruit orchards. It rained the previous night thus, the sweet tang of the damp soil carried by the cool breeze gently assailed us. It was truly a feast for the senses. Our enjoyment was emphasized by our recurrent laughter and friendly banters.
As we dodged through the thick bushes, docked under the branches, grappled on some grasses to keep ourselves steady, conversation halted to a point that we could practically hear the pounding of our heart in time with the chirping of the birds and the muted sounds of some unseen creatures. It was even more of a feast to the senses.
And then we came to a clearing. All that talk about the necessity for forest conservation, or the knowledge about kaingin and other virtually destructive practices did not prepare me for the devastation before my eyes. What was before us was the charred remains of what I pictured to be thick foliage of trees and plants which once must have housed thousands of varieties of plant and animal species. Yet, one of our guides informed us that what we were witnessing was mild in comparison to other areas in the same mountain. Listening to somebody discussing the scenario as “mild devastation” was a complete anathema to me. If that was mild… how can something be worse?
I could tell that the scenario depressed most of the neophytes. A tree can be a sanctuary to hundreds of species. Cutting one would be tantamount to cutting the lifebreath of these species. But burning a vast patch of land is simply murderous!
“Leave nothing but footprints… Take nothing but pictures.” This is the silent code that every noble mountaineer lives by. I can’t help but think that this world would be better if everybody thinks like a noble mountaineer. The experience in the mountains has given me more than I bargained for. I was seeking for adventure but I found an awakening. Now, a new challenge awaits me… the challenge of getting my pupils to care for the environment.
I admit that the discussion about the importance and care for living things (plants and animals) have usually taken a backseat to the clinical facts in science, particularly in biology. There was even an assumption that our pupils generally know that taking care of the environment is important and so the discussion about environmental concerns, including forest ecosystems end up as half-baked lessons, “squeezed lessons” or haphazard lessons, just so the course description will be completed… worse is, the literature sometimes land as take home tasks , using the premise that the readings are “self explanatory”.
The science teacher is also a major key in motivating the pupils to take an interest in environmental concerns. Unfortunately, only a few are really updated on the issues regarding such. The interdisciplinary approach in teaching science and technology is often too much to handle for some science teachers. The temptation to rely on books and rote learning is too great especially if the teacher strives to finish everything in the course outline. Investigation , exploration, experimentation and even inquiry learning takes up so much time that there is a danger that not all the lessons may be covered (That would be fatal if the district achievement and division achievement tests are fast approaching). Field trips should do the trick to encourage even the most impassive learner, except that planning alone would take up the bulk of the time, not to mention the other considerations that go along with it.
Now, those were the excuses that any science teacher may resort to. But the modern science teacher would strive to find a way and around these excuses just to provide quality education to the learners. The better ways are usually the hardest and most complicated ways . Teaching environmental concerns , forest conservation and rainforest appreciation can best be imparted through hands on experiences, that is… letting the kids see for themselves what a forest is, if possible what a destroyed forest look like. Involving the learners in finding solutions to the problem, instead of just infusing or smothering them with solutions will train them to think for alternatives and be more critical of the situations at hand.
The importance of rainforests should be emphasized in a manner that they will be best retained in the mind of the pupils. It will help if the application will be discussed alongside their importance like in the following instances:
Ø Roots grow towards water and gravity. That is how plants respond to stimuli. You also respond to stimuli. But unlike plants, you can either grow into a mature human being or deteriorate into a spoiled brat. Plants don’t have choices. You do.
Ø Mass media is like sunlight and we must be like chlorophyll. We must absorb only what is useful, interesting and relevant to us. Unfortunately, many of our young people absorb the opposite… crime, sex, corruption, etc.
Ø Providence has given every creature an adaptation for its own survival. Human beings are a lot blessed; they are given an intelligence and a free will to design and decide their own survival. How can we use this gift to preserve nature?
Ø No organism can live alone. Every man needs other men in order to survive and develop. Every man needs the nonliving environment as much as the living in order to sustain himself. Thus, every man must learn to protect both the living and the nonliving things that surround him, if he wishes to protect himself.
Ø The interlinking of different food chains is characteristic of an ecosystem. Similarly, the interlinking of various disciplines is characteristic of a n educational system. In school, you do not only learn how to read, or write or solve math problems…. you learn about life.
Furthermore, science teachers should be more equipped with knowledge about the environment in general and the forest in particular to obstruct any misconceptions related to the study of the rainforests and environment. They should also be adequately creative to make the most out of the materials and other resources in the locality for any topic discussion, particularly on rain forests. Traveling, attending seminars focused on the cause of conservation, membership in civic organizations which take active part in conservation and yes, engaging on activities like mountain climbing can also enrich a science teacher.
A month ago, the thought of providing my pupils with the hands on experience spurred me to bring a selected few on a trek towards the crater of Mt. Asog. We weren’t able to go down the crater due to the weather but I could tell that the experience proved to be more rewarding and enriching to the kids than ten classroom sessions on rainforests and environment. Their shared experiences inspired some of their classmates to acquire a new perspective about forest conservation. One pupil was even spurred to write a poem about forests while another wrote a letter addressed to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Then just a week ago, the same inspiration prodded me to bring the pupil government to the foot of the mountain where an Aeta settlement area is located. Our main objective was to conduct the annual Share A Joy ( a gift giving activity sponsored by the pupil government) . Along the way, the children noticed the beauty of the rushing water, the myriad plants and trees that profuse the sides of the mountain, the animals that thrive in the area and most of all, the way of life of the people in the area. I could tell by the lively chatter inside the van on our way home that by choosing that area for gift giving, they were more enhanced as persons. Every dirt on their soiled shirts and shoes bespoke of an unforgettable insight …insights to human nature and insights on nature itself.
But to those who don’t have the resources like time and inclination to go on a field trip, the school garden or any garden would be a good place to start. In fact, it would be better if the pupils will cultivate their own crops. This way they will be more cognizant of how to keep things alive. Each learner should be encouraged to care for something beyond himself. Consideration should be taken to emphasize that every ecosystem is a life-support system. It is equipped with natural means of protecting itself from the ill effects of natural and man-made disturbances, but only to a certain extent. It has, nevertheless a limited treshold and carrying capacity. Beyond this limit, ecosystemic functions will be impaired, environmental degradation will take place and life will be threatened.
Life is short and terminable. To a science teacher, it is twice shorter because a lifetime of teaching will not suffice to impart all the scientific facts ( even if it’s only all about rainforests) . But at times, when a teacher does it right in one setting, the golden grain of thought could stretch for eternity. Or as a poet aptly put:
a butterfly flies beside us like a sunbeam…..
and for a brief moment its glory and beauty belongs to our world.
but then it flies on again…
and though we wish it could have stayed,…
we feel so lucky to have seen it.
MARIA GEE R. JACOME MST General Science , Second Semester, S/Y 2005-2006
