The Amazon in the Classroom — and the Classroom in the Amazon
Since 2012, WWF-Brasil has been developing and disseminating an ambitious environmental education programme called Biodiversidade nas Costas (Biodiversity on Our Backs). The initiative aims to integrate biodiversity conservation and environmental ethics into high school curricula — starting from the communities surrounding the Montanhas do Tumucumaque National Park in the Amazon region of Amapá, and expanding across the Amazon and Cerrado biomes towards a national reach.
The programme was developed in partnership with Ecocentro IPEC, ICMBio (the Brazilian Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, which manages protected areas including Tumucumaque), and the University of Amapá (UNIFAP), which provides academic support and helps integrate the programme into local educational systems.
What the Programme Does
Biodiversidade nas Costas works on several interconnected levels. It develops educational materials for teachers and students that are interdisciplinary by design — connecting biology, ethics, geography, history, and cultural studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues rather than a siloed, single-subject perspective. Teachers are trained and supported in integrating these materials into their existing lessons, and students are invited to move beyond passive reception of information towards active, ethical reflection on their relationship with the natural world.
Particularly innovative is the programme’s use of the Six Thinking Hats methodology, which provides a structured and creative framework for exploring different perspectives on conservation challenges — encouraging students to think as scientists, as economists, as indigenous community members, as policymakers, and as future citizens simultaneously.
Fieldwork, Ethics, and Cultural Integration
The programme does not limit itself to the classroom. Students engage in field activities including biodiversity observation, environmental trails, and conservation projects that connect abstract concepts to tangible local realities. Local and indigenous knowledge is deliberately incorporated into the curriculum — a choice that both enriches the programme’s content and ensures its cultural resonance for communities living alongside some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems.
Relevance for Sustainable Learning
Biodiversidade nas Costas is a model for how formal environmental education can be made substantive, culturally relevant, and transformative. It connects to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Website: ecocentro.org
