General News
Aspiring young environmentalists from the Samoa Primary School Year 7 class gained a wealth of knowledge to help with their studies following a visit to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme earlier this week.
The main aim of their visit was to learn more about the work which is carried out by SPREP in the Pacific region.
The students learned about endangered species and their migratory patterns from Michael Donoghue, SPREP's Threatened and Migratory Species Adviser's presentation on turtles, dugongs, sharks, rays and whales. They were particularly interested in the different species' habitat, the threats they face and also the distances they travel each year as they migrate from their breeding grounds to their feeding grounds and back again.
Mike Donoghue presenting on Endangered Species. Photo: SPREP
Ryan Wright, SPREP's Spatial Planning Officer, then talked to the students about Marine Spatial Planning, a process which brings together multiple users of the ocean such as communities and government to make decisions on how to better manage marine resources.
The students enjoyed a short activity where they were required to list down the Positive and Negative impacts of a new port development on the community, government organisations as well as port developers.
Climate change was the final presentation of the day, where Mr Peni Leavai engaged the students in a very intense and interactive discussion on climate change. The students were able to identify the problems which cause climate change as well as come up with solutions to combat these problems, to reduce the effect of climate change and global warming on the Earth.
The students participating in a group activity on Marine Spatial Planning
Leon Vui, 12, said, "I really enjoyed our visit to SPREP today. I learned a lot today about climate change, endangered species as well as spatial planning, and my fellow classmates and I are very grateful to the professionals from SPREP for sharing their knowledge with us. Hopefully one day some of us will be able to work here at SPREP to carry on this important work."
Educational and awareness resources were presented to the teachers from Samoa Primary School to aid the students in their learnings back in the classroom.
The main aim of their visit was to learn more about the work which is carried out by SPREP in the Pacific region.
The students learned about endangered species and their migratory patterns from Michael Donoghue, SPREP's Threatened and Migratory Species Adviser's presentation on turtles, dugongs, sharks, rays and whales. They were particularly interested in the different species' habitat, the threats they face and also the distances they travel each year as they migrate from their breeding grounds to their feeding grounds and back again.
Mike Donoghue presenting on Endangered Species. Photo: SPREPRyan Wright, SPREP's Spatial Planning Officer, then talked to the students about Marine Spatial Planning, a process which brings together multiple users of the ocean such as communities and government to make decisions on how to better manage marine resources.
The students enjoyed a short activity where they were required to list down the Positive and Negative impacts of a new port development on the community, government organisations as well as port developers.
Climate change was the final presentation of the day, where Mr Peni Leavai engaged the students in a very intense and interactive discussion on climate change. The students were able to identify the problems which cause climate change as well as come up with solutions to combat these problems, to reduce the effect of climate change and global warming on the Earth.
The students participating in a group activity on Marine Spatial PlanningLeon Vui, 12, said, "I really enjoyed our visit to SPREP today. I learned a lot today about climate change, endangered species as well as spatial planning, and my fellow classmates and I are very grateful to the professionals from SPREP for sharing their knowledge with us. Hopefully one day some of us will be able to work here at SPREP to carry on this important work."
Educational and awareness resources were presented to the teachers from Samoa Primary School to aid the students in their learnings back in the classroom.