Empowering Sri Lankan Youth towards Environmental Conservation through Volunteering
The plain ends in the central area where the land starts to ascend into mist-shrouded mountains, covered in forests of wind-stunted trees plains known as “Patanas”, and rolling tea plantations. Also, it is hard not to mention the, magnificent waterfalls that naturally decorate the hillsides. Although having all these gifts from the nature, with the increasing of rapid consumption of natural resources, protecting this beautiful island’s environment is more important than ever.
Our country's natural resources are under threat from various human activities, including deforestation, pollution, and habitat destruction. As the children of this beautiful island, it falls upon us to take action and preserve our environment for future generations
The attitude towards nature conservation is one of the major issues that we have to face today. Many people view the environment as a limitless resource to exploit rather than a delicate ecosystem that requires care and protection. Also, the poverty of the nation, pushes the poor to consume the natural resources otherwise they have no other option to survive in this cruel system of the society. This mindset persuades the people of its own nation to go for destructive behaviors and practices.
While changing the mindset of adults may prove challenging, the younger generation presents a promising opportunity to change the mindsets towards environmental consciousness. That s where the schools come to the play as it serves as the ideal platform for shaping the attitudes and behaviors of youth towards nature conservation. However, traditional methods of education through textbooks and lectures may not efficient enough to make the youth take these actions.
By integrating volunteering opportunities into school curricula, students can actively engage with environmental issues and witness firsthand the impact of their actions to receive a deeper understanding and appreciation for the environment. Through volunteering, they learn valuable skills, develop empathy towards nature, and cultivate a sense of responsibility for preserving the environment.
Establishing environmental clubs or societies within schools can further amplify these efforts. These clubs provide a space for students to collaborate, share ideas, and undertake conservation projects together. By fostering a sense of community and collective responsibility, these clubs empower students to take ownership of environmental initiatives and drive positive change within their schools and communities. Moreover, initiating nationwide movements centered around youth-led environmental activism can mobilize a broader segment of the population towards conservation efforts. By uniting students from different schools and connecting them to a network of well-known environmentalists, international movements, undergraduates from different national and foreign universities/ institutes and lecturers as resource persons, can inspire these students under a common cause. These movements can leverage collective action to effect meaningful change on a larger scale.
By empowering the youth to become environmental stewards from an early age, we can pave the way for a brighter and more sustainable future for Sri Lanka. Through practical experiences, collaboration, and collective action, we can create a passion that would convert into a lifelong commitment to environmental conservation and create a society where protecting nature becomes a culture and part of the value system.
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