The LIFE Marbled Teal project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, has begun activities to bring the species and its habitat closer to primary and secondary school students in schools located in the three autonomous communities where the project operates, Andalusia, the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia. Specifically, the first activities have been aimed at 4th grade students of CEIP Azorín, in Catral (Alicante), and have consisted of a theoretical session and a visit to the El Hondo Natural Park, one of the wetlands where the species lives. The project foresees the realization of at least 100 activities in educational centers, which will bring the marbled teal and the wetlands, its habitat, closer to a large number of students who live in priority areas for the species in Spain. One of the main educational materials on which these activities are based is the project’s didactic unit. It is formed, on the one hand, by an informative guide with content on the species, its biology, its conservation status and its threats, as well as on the wetlands where they live, and the different uses and activities that are carried out in them. On the other hand, it includes activity sheets for students, adapted to each age group, from 1st grade of primary school to 4th year of ESO, to put into practice what has been learned, and their corresponding sheets with corrections and indications for teachers. In addition, it also includes knowledge assessment surveys, before and after the use of the teaching unit, and a diploma is incorporated to give to students once the activities have been completed. The use of the didactic unit, which is offered free of charge on the project’s website, will be complemented with visits by schools to the wetlands where the marbled teal lives. Courses will also be given to teachers and educators to facilitate these and other teaching materials developed by the project and provide guidance on how to use them. In addition, they intend to serve to introduce transversal content on wetland conservation, environmental restoration, endangered species and social participation in the daily teaching of participating teachers.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

These actions are part of the LIFE Marbled Teal Environmental Education, Participation and Awareness Programme. The main objective of this programme, which will be carried out until 2025, will be to involve and raise awareness among those social agents whose activity has a special impact on the species, such as the agriculture, hunting, aquaculture, irrigation and, specifically, rice sectors, through which the involvement of the local population in the project will be facilitated. as well as the educational community. This effort to raise awareness among the key actors for the species and the population that lives or develops its economic activity in the areas where the marbled teal is present is essential to achieve greater effectiveness of the conservation actions proposed by the project partners. To achieve this, actions are being launched such as the holding of informative seminars to inform the sectors involved at the national level, training sessions for socio-economic sectors and with ornithological tourism companies and environmental volunteering activities.

THE LIFE MARBLED TEAL PROJECT

The LIFE Marbled Teal aims to improve the conservation status of 3,000 hectares of wetlands to reverse the risk of extinction of the most endangered duck in Europe, in a critical situation in Spain. For this reason, it has undertaken a series of actions to strengthen the status of its populations in the natural environment, improve the state of wetlands and scientific knowledge of the species.

The project, which is coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, involves the ministry itself, through the Segura Hydrographic Confederation and Tragsatec; the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Ministry of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy and the Environment and Water Agency; the Generalitat Valenciana; the Government of the Region of Murcia, as well as the organizations SEO/BirdLife and ANSE. It is supported by the LIFE Program of the European Union and the Directorate General for Water.