Redefining environmental education

ASHOKA FELLOW, PERU

Joaquín Leguia is redefining environmental education as a community experience by moving lessons from the school to the jungle. By setting aside areas of the forest for youth-management projects, he incorporates children into the global sustainability conversation at the most crucial stage of their personal development. In a region of the world where environmental mismanagement has resulted in wasteful agricultural practices, deforestation, and biodiversity loss, Joaquín leads communities in the creation of Children's Forests: wilderness areas that both strengthen children's knowledge and appreciation of the natural world and equip them with practical skills to sustain their conservation efforts over the long term. To offer incentives for parents, school administrators, and community members to participate, Joaquín also brings resources — especially in the form of land — to communities that demonstrate a commitment to implementing and spreading Children's Forests. Now that he has established his program with diverse communities and partners in the Madre de Dios region, Joaquín is demonstrating the viability of his approach for small rural communities throughout Peru.

Speech Topics

• Environmental conservation
• Youth development