Environmental perception and environmental education for conservation of water resources and biodiversity of an aquatic ecosystem

Abstract

São Gonçalo do Rio Preto is located in the north of Minas Gerais State; this city holds several water springs, including Rio Preto’s. Our goal was to conduct environmental education activities with students from a secondary school about the river, its biodiversity and human impacts. First, we diagnosed the environmental perception and knowledge of students about the local nature through a questionnaire. The result of the diagnosis enabled the development of activities that attended students’ needs and stimulate their potentials. The activities consisted of a practice about bioindicators of water quality, application of Rapid Habitat Diversity Evaluation Protocol, lecture and discussion. The students were enthusiastic, inquisitive and participative; the activities propitiated a more critical point of view about their local reality.