CDF press release
Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, January 25, 2003
During October, November and December 2002, about 1000 Santa Cruz students participated in a series of lectures, workshops and field trips to learn about introduced species and the threat they pose for the population and environment in Galapagos.
These activities were part of an environmental education campaign designed by the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station, and backed up by the Santa Cruz Education Authority. As a result of these activities, the students made drawings representing what they learned from the workshops. Because these drawings were very creative and because they can be useful communication tools, they participated in a contest. The grand prize would be to design postcards with the winner's drawing.
The contest consisted of three categories:
1. The first and second grades participated with the theme "Introduced species that harm a Galapagos specie".
2. The third and fourth grades participated with the theme "Introduced species that harm the people in Galapagos and the endemic or native island species".
3. The fifth and sixth grades participated with the theme "Ways to prevent more plagues from entering Galapagos".
The message was received
The jury members were selected for their extensive knowledge on art and introduced species. They studied each drawing painstakingly, according to each participant's ability in artistic expression; in other words, each child's capacity to express his or her knowledge and feelings on introduced species. The jury's task was not easy because all the drawings were creative and effective in depicting the problems caused by introduced species. The children showed through this contest an extensive knowledge and awareness on introduced species.
The final verdict
The winners were selected in the following manner: The best drawings from each category and each school were pre-selected. From these chosen pieces, three semifinalist drawings were selected. Six year old, Diego Guerrero, from Loma Linda school was finally chosen as the grand prize winner with a drawing depicting a rat attacking the eggs belonging to a Galapagos endemic species.
The prizes
All the finalist pieces received a prize: The students that were pre-selected each received a t-shirt stamped with their own drawing and the logotype of the educational campaign on introduced species.
The semifinalist students received an art kit so they can further develop their artistic abilities. These kits contain tempra paints, coloring pencils, crayons, pastels, markers, paint pallets, pencils and paper.
The grand prize winner received 1000 postcards printed with his drawing. These postcards was given to the student's school.
Press Contact:
Charles Darwin Research Station
Galapagos-Ecuador
E-mail: cdrs@fcdarwin.org.ec
Visit: www.darwinfoundation.org
Phone/Fax: 593-5-526-147/146