The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) launched in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut (AUB - NCC) and the Coca-Cola Foundation the 'School Guide for Extracurricular Nature related Activities' to promote nature conservation through education. The launch ceremony was held under the auspices of the ministry's General Director Fadi Yarak and was attended by Sonia Khoury, Director of Pedagogic and Scholar Orientation at the ministry; Hadi Zalzali, Head of the Elementary department at the ministry; Albert Chamoun the ministry's media advisor, along with members of the educational and administrative bodies and teachers from all the Lebanese regions.
"The school guide was developed to strengthen the bond between students and nature through reforestation", explained Dr. Najat Saliba, Director of the Nature Conservation Center. "The oak tree was the source of the project since most students couldn't identify it! This program, funded by the CoCa-Cola foundation, is the outcome of 3 years of research and testing therefore really needs to be implemented", she ended.
"This environmental guide is the result of three years of efforts carried out by AUB Nature Conservation Center with the support of Coca-Cola Foundation" said Antoine Tayyar, Public Affairs and Communications Director of Coca-Cola Middle East. "We are delighted the Ministry of Education incorporated this guide in the school curriculum. This is the best proof of its success, highlighting the importance of partnership between the public and private sectors, the civil society and the scientific community. This is indeed what we call in our company "The Golden Triangle", which is the secret behind every success in the field of sustainable development", Tayyar added.
He continued: "We have been constantly participating over the past decade in projects designed to protect Lebanon's natural resources, in collaboration with municipalities, scientific centers, as well as local and international organizations. These efforts, materialized through this educational and environmental guide, which will be adopted in schools as of today, will provide future generations with the opportunity to contribute in the protection of our environment, in different regions across Lebanon."
Fadi Yarak highlighted the damages linked to the progressive urbanization at the expense of green areas, climate, groundwater resources, without considering environmental impacts and their effects on humans or nature: "the imbalanced lifestyle have been undertaken by individuals and groups, including the United Nations, calling for awareness and warning against the dangers to the planet and its population".
A collective effort
However actions to save the planet are not trivial: "Alongside the environment's international conferences, associations and organizations of civil society are being active to prevent desertification and pollution, while providing huge efforts to preserve green spaces, clean air and drinking water. A matter of such magnitude requires collective efforts at all levels", said Yarak.
"Lebanon never hesitated to take the necessary steps to protect the environment. He understood that the educational path is the best way to achieve a respectful behavior of the environment, because it directly affects students, main pillars for a sustainable society. The cooperation between MEHE and the NCC was materialized through this guide, a comprehensive educational plan from a theoretical and practical perspective," he said.
The General Director emphasized on the useful complements of the guide and its extracurricular activities: "this guide will contribute to preserve a green Lebanon", he ended.
Wassim Kais, project coordinator, presented the project's stages and implementation in schools in Akkar and the South, where students attended outdoor activities with particular attention to reforestation, preservation of nature and exploring old trails.
Dr. Charles Harb, head of the psychology department at the AUB, presented a study involving 260 students in six schools in rural and urban areas where reforestation has occurred.
The guide was distributed to all the schools representatives.
