MAPs Mangrove Curriculum Continues To Spread

January 2014

Right: Teachers in Dangriga, Belize, exploring mangroves with magnifying lenses during MAPs 3-day Mangrove Curriculum Teachers Workshop last summer. Left: Students during EarthCares Environmental Youth Ambassadors program carrying out the same activity during the Freeport, Bahamas, workshop held in January, 2014. In the past fifteen years, since its inception in the Cayman Islands, MAPs mangrove curriculum has been translated, adapted and introduced to ten countries worldwide, with more than 2,500 teachers and over 220,000 students taking part in this invaluable education program. In the past year workshops have carried out with teachers, governmental education departments and local NGOs in Xiamen, China, and throughout Belize. Last winter MAPs Global Education Director, Martin Keeley, who supervises the program and the workshops, again traveled to China where the Chinese version of the curriculum was introduced to 40 teachers from 6 provinces at a 3day workshop in Xiamen, Fujian Province. This past spring and summer 90 teachers from 26 communities attended workshops in Placencia, and Dangriga, Southern Belize, with more workshops planned for Belize next year. Funding has recently been received from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to complete the introduction of the curriculum to Australia where teacher workshops are planned for the spring this year, and where Evelyn Roths inflatable mangrove nylon zoo (already under construction) will also be introduced later this year. Mr. Keeley visited Khulna, Bangladesh, where MAP is working with its local partner, CLEAN Khulna, to bring the curriculum to communities in and around the Sundarbans. Plans are also underway for Kenya and the Bahamas, thus bringing the thrill of hands-on science education about mangroves to teachers and students at schools in those countries.

Workshop presentations with teachers and scientists at Khulna University, Bangladesh, to begin process introducing, translating and adapting the curriculum for use in Sundarbans communities.

Above: Chinese students in Xiamen and the food web. Centre right, Teachers on Wasini Island, Kenya, meet with Martin Keeley. Bottom left students in Freeport, Bahamas exploring mangroves in Lucayan National Park.

Martin A. Keeley Global Education Director Mangrove Action Project 17, Beach Drive Cayman Brac KY2-2200 Cayman Islands Tel: (345) 948-0319 Cell: (345) 526-5072

Email: mangrove@candw.ky Web: http:mangroveactionproject.org/ www.mangrovesandreefs.org/ky