The Biodiversity Foundation, of the Ministry of the Environment, is more than meeting the expectations of visits by children to its stand at the Juvenalia Fair. The goal was for 6,000 children to pass through the stand, but after only three days of the fair 2,600 have passed and there are still five more days ahead.
The Biodiversity Foundation has been presented this year at Juvenalia 2006 with a 200 square meter stand dedicated to the “Countdown 2010” initiative to stop the loss of biodiversity. The activities chosen, as well as the “live” presence of its three mascots: “Mayú” the lynx, the brown bear “Robin” and the capercaillie “Paquito” are the keys to the success of this stand that in just three days has received and served more than 2,600 children. The expectations were that some 6,000 children would be attended to at the stand during the seven days of Juvenalia, but it is clear that they will exceed considerably.
The children, up to 12 years old, receive what is called the “BioDíver Passport” on arrival, a passport to defend biodiversity. With it they can access three different activities. On the one hand, there is an “Interactive Station” where children play, through the computer, the activities proposed by the Biodiversity Foundation through its website: the game of mistakes, to learn sustainable habits and behaviors; recycling, to know what each garbage container is for; memory, to know the animals, etc…
The second activity that can be done at the stand is to play “The Countdown 2010”. It is a kind of game of “The Goose” where children play on a huge board that represents the species that are in danger of extinction. Through it they have to save endangered animals and plants, avoid the dangers that lie in wait for them and reach the year 2010 with all the species saved.
Finally, the film session offers the little ones an unprecedented puppet show. It is the play “The Crown of Sant Nicolau”, a story that takes place in the Aigües Tortes and Lake San Mauricio National Park.
In addition, every day, at 12:30 and 17:30, there is an important event for the children who visit the stand of the Biodiversity Foundation at Juvenalia 2006: “Animals talk to children”. Within the framework of the stand’s movie theater, the brown bear “Robin”, the lynx “Mayú” and the capercaillie “Paquito”, tell the children where they live, what they eat, what they are like in nature, and above all, what are the main threats they have. Children take the opportunity to ask them things and to commit to helping these and all other animals that are in danger of extinction. The session ends with the distribution, by the three animals, of some explanatory stories of their lives and problems so that the little ones get to know them better.
The stand, which imitates an authentic forest, where children, parents and grandparents spend hours, is comfortable for adults and a lot of fun for the little ones. At the end, in all the activities to be carried out, gifts are given to the participants, consisting of T-shirts with the images of the BioDíver characters, as well as stories made of recycled paper, corn pens, CD-Rom with the computer games, a tablecloth in recycled cardboard with the Countdown 2010 game, etc…
The Biodiversity Foundation has set up a stand that is as sustainable as possible, trying to ensure that all its materials are reused, from other uses, and reusable, which can be used in other fairs, with the aim of not establishing a stand to be used and thrown away. This stand is therefore an example of the Foundation’s commitment to raising awareness and being consistent with what it proposes to society, trying to set an example for other institutions and entities.
