Environment Week wraps up with 52 new ‘Guardians’

Apia, Samoa – 13 November 2023: After an intense week of learning, 52 more students received their well-deserved certificates from the Guardians environmental educational campaign on Friday 10 November 2023. These additional students are now part of over 1000 others who have completed the program since its inception in 2018.

The campaign was hosted as part of Samoa’s Environment Week with students from 5 primary schools joining the hands-on learning experience. The students were mentored by experts in the fields of sustainable fishing, coral reef ecosystems, mangrove ecosystems, waste management, and traditional voyaging.

“The Guardians was an eye-opening experience for me. There is so much to learn about our beautiful precious fragile environment—a treasure worth preserving for everyone. My favourite part of the Guardians is the voyaging program – I have learned a lot of traditional and survival skills and living off the environment from the Gaualofa teacher. I recommend all young students to participate and become Guardians of our beautiful environment,” says Yaonosuke Yoshida from Robert Louis Stevenson School.

Students learning about voyaging from the captain of the Gaualofa. Photo Fatutolo Iene

“The Guardians campaign this week was the last one for 2023 and we were very happy to receive students from schools so close to the exam period. We look forward to working again with our partners in 2024 to deliver this important campaign to continue to inspire our young people,” says Le’ausālilō Leilani Duffy-Iosefa, the Director for Conservation International.

The schools which participated for the Guardians during the week’s celebrations included students from Vaiala Beach School, Saint Peters Channel Primary School, Ah Mu Academy, Lē Amosā Primary School, Robert Louis Stevenson School and All Saints Anglican Primary School.

The Guardians environmental education programme is a partnership implemented jointly by Conservation International and the Government of Samoa through its various agencies, Non-Government Organizations and Civil Societies in Samoa.

Students after learning about coral reefs at Palolo Deep. Photo Fimareti Selu

The programme this week was undertaken with the guidance of mentors, educators and volunteers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, and the Samoa Voyaging Society.

Guardians is supported by the New Zealand Government Manaaki Programme and the Waitt Foundation.