Georgetown: Students from across the Rupununi recently visited the Iwokrama rainforest as part of a Grade Nine Integrated Science research project. This follows on the heels of another Lethem area school visit, Arapaima school.
The students, numbering 91, attend the St Ignatius Secondary School. It is the only secondary school in Central Rupununi and attracts students as far away as Karasabai. The students were accompanied by four teachers, including Francine Gomes, Head of the Science Department.
“Iwokrama has had ongoing outreach activities to schools, universities and the general public. However, we are ecstatic to be getting more community schools coming to visit,” said Raquel Thomas, a forest ecologist and Director of Resource Management and Training at Iwokrama
She added: “We have also had more schools coming from Georgetown as well. It is very important for children to learn about conservation and sustainable use of forests and for them to really see the natural beauty of Guyana.”
Teacher Gomes said that the students’ science project focuses on the symbiotic relationships among plants, namely commensalism, parasitism, and mutualism. The task of the students included identifying, by name, the plants that share these relationships and to explain how plants affect and are affected by each other and other organisms in their environments. Another objective of the students’ assignment was to observe, describe and classify plants by their colour, size, shape of leaves and their habitat. The visit to Iwokrama afforded the students to actually see those relationships at work in the Iwokrama forest and also to collect samples for preservation.
Botanical surveys of the Iwokrama forest have found over 1, 250 species of plants but could well exceed 2, 000 species if those in the highland areas are taken into consideration.
Gomes said that the teachers of the Science department felt that while plants around St Ignatius and surrounding communities could have been used for the students to carry out the research, it was better for the students to visit Iwokrama, where “everything is in one place.”
The students and teachers observed the rainforest from the canopy walkway and also visited the Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Station at Kurupukari.
“The staff at Iwokrama welcomed us and offered us fine hospitality. They were also very kind and patient with the students, answering all of their questions,” Gomes stated. The exercise was lead by Rangers and Tour Guides at Iwokrama River Lodge and Atta Lodge (Canopy Walkway Site).
She said that the students were able to identify various species of plants.
“They would have read about Iwokrama and the plants it harbours, but we were excited to actually see the plants in their natural habitat.”
“They gained a lot of knowledge about what it means to conserve the rainforest and were able to understand why conservation is so important, not only for plants and animals to survive, but for us humans too,” Gomes stated.
One of Iwokrama’s core values is a people centered approach to conservation and wise use of the rainforest.
The Iwokrama International Centre will continue its outreach activities, focusing on all stakeholders in society.
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