

The Children for Nature project is being sponsored by the Swedish Ornithological Society and is coordinated
by one of the pioneer MSc students of APLORI, Grace Pam. The project is aimed at creating a sense of consciousness
in the Nigerian child of his/her natural environment. The project is the first of its kind in Nigeria aimed at
teaching young children of ages 6-12, about the natural environment and the importance of conserving it. Five
different schools were visited in 2005 and a total of about 2,500 pupils were taught on various aspects of nature
and conservation. Trees seedlings were provided for all schools and planted by the pupils, and a monitoring team was
set up. The project in 2005 was concluded by various drama presentations by each school on the dangers of
deforestation, which was used as a tool for measuring their level of comprehension. The positive attitude of the
children towards the exercise steers up an optimistic feat in conservation education in Nigeria, where the need for
sustainable management of a highly heterogeneous biological diversity is crucial but largely disregarded.
In 2006, a nature garden was constructed at the University of Jos Staff School and there are plans to have similar
gardens in many other schools. A workshop for school teachers on conservation is also one of the many projects to be
carried out by the group, to ensure continuity.
The Children for Nature project is an ongoing scheme and is aimed at reaching every Nigerian child and thus
educating the nation about the need to conserve, and ultimately help to change the perception of Nigerians about the
environment to a healthier and more nature friendly view.