Environmental Health
City News
The interrelationship between humans and the environment
Environmental Education
Increasing sustainability in the City of Pharr to create a healthier environment for our community.
Green Education
By educating and increasing awareness on topics such as recycling, waste consumption, and reducing carbon footprints we can ensure that Pharr can become a cleaner and safer city for all our residents.
Importance of Green Education
Outdoor learning is linked to positive shifts in
– Perseverance
– Critical Thinking
– Resilience
– Problem Solving
– # of environmental problems experienced by the community
– Poor control practices
– Low awareness of protecting the environment
Pharr Recycling Center
Accepted materials include:
- Paper
- Metal
- Used Motor Oil
- Tires: Only accepted from City of Pharr residents
- Plastic: types #1 and #2
- Hazardous waste: only accepted once a year
Benefits of recycling
– For the environment you reduce waste sent to landfills and reduce pollution which has created more greenhouse gases that are created by landfill gas
– For the economy you are supporting community projects and local collaboration between organizations
– For the community you are helping advocate for more sustainable practices and cleaner environment
– Natural resource conservation
– Reducing pollution through proper recycling
Environmental Education children
– Increase knowledge on environmental issues such as plastic pollution
– Teach children important (soft) skills such as critical thinking and decision-making skills
Early Childhood Environmental Education Activities that could be performed are nature walks, outdoors play, and nature based interactive discussions.
Other possible activities:
– Art project
– Camping
– Creating ice lanterns
– Local beach or park clean ups
Teach across different education levels
Primary education which helps in knowledge, attitude, and skill
Secondary education which helps with participation, innovation, and constructivism
Higher education which helps in solutions, collaboration, research, and advocacy
Be a green kid!
The importance of environmental education in children
It encourages children to make eco-friendly practices a habit, such as:
– Reduce food waste
– Use reusable water bottles
– Donate toys or old clothes
– Pick up litter
Environmental education provides improvement in students’ environmental outcomes in categories such as environmental knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behavior.
“Children are least responsible for climate change, but they will suffer its consequences the most”
Why should we protect the environment? – based on children’s thoughts
– Benefit of humans: essential for their health
– Benefit of nature: “dirty” environment could result in the extinction of plants and animals, protect trees because they provide oxygen for both humans and animals
With more advocacy and education, we can work together and build solutions to protect our planet and secure a brighter future for generations to come. This starts by first educating our younger population and building the bridge of knowledge between humans and their environment.
Green education provides: A unique learning opportunity for not only students, but also educators as it promotes a more holistic teaching approach.