Papua New Guinea’s Department of Education launched an innovative resource booklet that will empower primary school children to become custodians of the remarkable biodiversity found within the pristine Kikori River Basin.
The introduction of the supplementary teacher’s guidebook titled, “Conservation of the Kikori River Basin: A Teacher’s Resource Book for Primary Schools,” takes a significant stride in nurturing a new generation of environmentally conscious leaders dedicated to safeguarding this invaluable ecological gem.
Equipping teachers with a comprehensive curriculum, engaging activities, localized content, and collaborative opportunities, the guidebook enables the delivery of impactful environment education.
This resource caters to primary school students from Grade 3 to Grade 8 in the five provinces surrounding the Kikori River Basin; Gulf, Enga, Southern Highlands, Western, and Hela encompass approximately 2.3 million hectares of unique ecosystems and vegetation.
The Kikori basin, acknowledged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is home to one of the largest undisturbed forest tracts in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring diverse forest types, remarkable bird species, and rich biodiversity threatened by logging and unsustainable practices like overfishing.
Prior to the launch on Thursday June 29, 2023, 150 copies of the Teacher’s Resource Book were delivered to the Guld Provincial Education division and Nipa-Kutubu District Administration at Pimaga Station, Southern Highlands Province. WWF also delivered copies to the Research Conservation Foundation (RCF), the University of Goroka (UOG) and the Eastern Highlands Provincial Education Director in Eastern Highlands Province.
Support towards the compilation of the teachers’ guide was provided by the Innovation Fund and Silent Foundation through the WWF Singapore Office and the WWF-Pacific Office in PNG.
WWF acknowledges the assistance of Jennifer Sangga (Late) in the initial writing of the resource book and Dr Sangion Appiee Tiu for reviewing and rewriting the resource book including various lessons and facilitating the teacher consultation process.