

Connecting children with nature: an interview with Leidy Apolo Cajamarca
We spoke to our partner, Leidy Apolo Cajamarca at the Connecting with Nature project, about her work and the importance of children developing a love for nature and strong sustainability values.
Can you give an overview of the Connecting with Nature Programme (CWNP)?
The CWNP, which is funded by GCT, has provided an opportunity for people to learn about the environment by attending events, learning from storytelling and through games and exhibitions. However, there are still many people who hope to have the same opportunity. I believe that the main vision for the programme is to be able to reach those who currently don’t have those opportunities, as well as keep those who are involved in the programme empowered and engaged.
For more than six years, the CWNP has been implementing a concept called the “path of commitment”, which has moved an entire community through states of awareness, engagement, proactiveness and commitment to protecting nature using environmental education as the key tool to promote conservation and sustainable development. We will continue on this path to promote these pro-environmental behaviours to ensure people protect and value the Islands.

What do you think the biggest achievements have been for the programme so far?
I consider our main achievement to be bringing the community, including children, young people and adults, into the world of science and research. We are breaking down barriers and misconceptions including that science is too difficult, is exclusively for boys and men and that it is beyond their reach. The activities, which combine education, recreation and science, represent a valuable opportunity to integrate the community and strengthen their relationship with the environment.
Participants have been able to develop their knowledge, curiosities and critical thinking skills, all whilst facing other social, economic and environmental challenges. I dare say that many people develop a greater appreciation and love of nature and the Galapagos Islands following their participation in the programme.


Connecting with Nature
Discover how the Connecting with Nature programme allows young people in Galapagos to experience the incredible flora and fauna around them.
What inspired you to get involved with the Connecting with Nature programme?
The community is, without a doubt, what always inspires me. When I see that desire to learn and spark of curiosity in the faces of children, I am thrilled to be able to engage with them. Then, when I see parents expressing an interest in also learning about the environmental challenges in Galapagos, I feel confident that we are on the right track, promoting positive connections between people and the environment, fostering the values of coexistence and conservation which are necessary to live in an ecosystem as fragile and special as Galapagos. For me, there is a constant opportunity for growth, and I am proud to be able to lead this programme.

Can you tell us a bit more about the activities you have run as part of the programme, such as the Friends of Science Club and reading sessions and the benefit these have had on the children?
Our reading sessions with emblematic characters such as Marti the hammerhead shark, Tessa the giant tortoise, Alberto the waved albatross and Loberto and Zally the Galapagos sea lions, have transformed how children connect with the biodiversity of Galapagos. This activity, aimed at primary school children (7-11 years old), has evolved from being implemented in classrooms to being used to engage and empower teachers and parents to implement the reading sessions in their own spaces and finally, being used as an educational resource on the Galapagos Science Center website where it can have even greater reach and impact.
The Friends of Science Club engages children and young people (10-17 years old) in projects including experiments, laboratory activities and field trips which allow them to learn about the tools and methodologies used by scientists. This experience not only increases their interest in science but also makes them conservation advocates.


A Galapagos Journey Trilogy
You can purchase our three storybooks which introduce children to the wonderful wildlife of Galapagos.
How important is it to connect children living on the Islands with nature through environmental education programmes?
Nurturing that connection is extremely important, a child who knows, observes and discovers, is a child who will want to care for and protect the natural world for themselves and future generations. Connecting with nature has enormous benefits, more than we can imagine, it helps us on a physical, mental and emotional level, so much so that one of our Science in the Family events in 2024 was dedicated to this topic. Connecting with our environment is necessary to develop self-love and a love for the environment.

What are your future plans and aspirations for the Connecting with Nature programme and what are the biggest challenges that you face in keeping it running?
Looking ahead, we would like to establish several more spaces where we can continue sharing environmental education. We want to develop more sessions which focus on other social and environmental challenges such as food security, agroecology and health.
Our main challenges include funding and making sure we have enough team members to continue planning, executing and evaluating the activities.
We are proud of what we have achieved and will continue to work with the same love and dedication we had when we started up this programme.


Educational Resources
We have a range of resources to inspire and educate young people about the wonders of Galapagos, tailored to different age groups and available in both English and Spanish.
How you can help
If you are not already, please consider becoming a member to help play a vital part in the ongoing efforts to preserve and protect these incredible Islands and their unique flora and fauna.
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