Children learn about animals

Child visitors as young as five are benefiting from the Port Moresby Nature Park’s school holiday programme.
Port Moresby Nature Park education officer Primrose Narara told The National that her students had picked up information and skills quickly, reflecting their keen interest in learning about PNG birds, reptiles, marsupials and plants.

“The children’s learning is fast because of the practical work that we did with them,” she said.
“They can draw, spell and know the different animal species and their purposes and connections they have with the environment.”

Narara said the kids for conservation programme was about building empathy with the children for plants and animals and the final programme for the holiday was on Thursday.
“We did animal talk in the morning and the activities all focused on animals and plants,” she said.

Narara said the animal they discussed was the green frog and the children were shown how it affected other plants and animals in its environment and what would happen if it became extinct.
“They (children) understood it very well, the connection between green frogs and their surrounding environment,” she said.

“Now they have something to talk about with their friends when going back to school.”
Narara said they normally had 40 students attending the programme but due to the Covid-19 restrictions, they took 17 – seven boys and 10 girls.

She said last year, the park ran programmes such as kids for conservation, culture connects, wild life super heroes and also observed World Environment Day.
Narara said when the children came back to the park, they would know about some of the animals.
She said more children needed to engage in the park’s programmes during holidays.