The Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and the Middle East Technical University brought together primary school students, their families and friends together at Lake Eymir to raise awareness of environmental issues on Saturday 15 October 2011.
Primary school students aged 9 – 12 from European and Turkish schools in Ankara started their activities by cleaning the area around Bağ Evi Restaurant. The students then created a giant giraffe sculpture with artist Barış Karayazgan, the founder of PACE Kids Art Centre, using plastic bottles they collected earlier.
Prof. Dr. Meryem Beklioğlu of the METU Limnology Laboratory explained to the children about Lake Eymir’s ecosystem and talked about the animals living by the lake and the environmental role of the water in the lake. The students, accompanied by experts, then made observations at the lake.
Efe Şaman (11) from METU Development Foundation Primary School said, “we had great fun. We measured the temperature of the water at different levels of the lake. We caught fish. We observed birds. We have learned about the creatures living in and around the lake.”
Beklioğlu said the activity has been a very good opportunity to raise awareness of children about the environment they are living in. Noting that Eymir Lake has been a very good choice to teach children the habitat which we share with animals and plants, Beklioğlu said she wished the number of such activities to increase.
Nicolas Vignau from the French Embassy primary school said they also carry out a project at their school to raise environmental awareness of the students and this activity has been a good complement for their project. “This has been a good activity for children to interact with the environment and learn about it,” said Vignau.
British Embassy primary school teacher Penelope Ahearn Er said that she observed that Turkish people are very sensitive about the environment individually around their houses, but with the big picture, such activities would help raise awareness in the society. Er said she hoped this activity would continue.
The children also produced necklaces and key-chains from “magic” paper with Barış Karayazgan and his team during the activities that took place from 09:30 until 16:30.
