Tegueste School Launches Environmental Manuals to Promote Anaga Biosphere Education

Environmental education in the Canary Islands has reached a new milestone with the launch of three teaching manuals from the CEIP Melchor Núñez Tejera school in Tegueste. Part of the "Know Your Environment: From School to the Mountains" initiative, the project aims to connect classroom learning with the Anaga Biosphere Reserve, a vital ecological area that needs to be better understood by the next generation.

Supported by the local City Council, the project focuses on three key topics: water management, laurel forest biodiversity, and the geology of red ochre (almagre). These manuals are more than just textbooks; they encourage students to learn through action. By using observation, drawing, and note-taking, primary school children can engage directly with the Pedro Álvarez ecosystem.

The project also stands out for its collaborative approach. The school and the local council have created a model where students act as guides for other schools. This peer-to-peer exchange helps students learn from one another while building a stronger sense of community and pride in their natural heritage.

This initiative, which began in 2012, is increasingly important as the future of protected areas relies on teaching children to value nature from a young age. By turning the local countryside into an outdoor classroom, the project goes beyond traditional lessons, using education as a tool to protect the landscape and teach civic responsibility.