With an eye on the source: Interpretive trail for conservation of springs

Abstract

The present work aimed to evaluate the contribution of an interpretative trail as a tool for environmental and scientific education seeking to help in the conservation of springs and the construction of responsible citizenship. The trail was carried out at the source of the Maxaranguape River, municipality of Pureza, Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, involving 62 students, from the 1st to 5th year of elementary school of the Escola Municipal Henrique de Oliveira Fagundes, in commemoration of the World Environment Day. Four points were chosen on the trail, approaching topics such as water cycle, importance of vegetation to the springs, waterborne diseases, pollution and preservation. The collection of data and instruments used in the research were drawings and interviews and, from their analysis, before and after the activities, it was possible to identify an important contribution of the trail realization to the environmental awareness of the students regarding the preservation of the rivers. After the trail, students’ drawings showed more landscape elements and a greater relationship between human and nature, as well as in the interviews, where a more coherent discourse and more sensitivity to the environment was observed. Thus, it is believed that the interpretative trail in a natural environment, such as a spring, presents a significant didactic potential for the teaching of sciences and encourages the exercise of conscious citizenship.