More than a thousand people interested in the local environment

Asociación Ambiente Sur evaluated positively its participation in the 24th Provincial Book Fair that ended yesterday. More than 1000 people made contact with the local ecosystem through the proposals developed by the Association at the event.

Asociación Ambiente Sur reported that 840 people, including adults and children, approached the stand shared with the Municipal Environmental Agency of Río Gallegos at the Provincial Book Fair. Participation in relevant community events is part of the community's awareness strategies towards the environment that the NGO develops. In this case, the presence at the Provincial Fair made it possible to directly reach a diverse public, some of whom were able to approach for the first time the work carried out by the NGO for conservation, and allowed to strengthen ties with the groups that usually participate in the initiatives led by the Association.

From the NGO they agreed that the main attraction of the stand was "Rufus", the reddish beach mascot, which summons children and adults who come to touch it, caress it and take pictures with "El Rojizo", as the smallest say .

They also stressed that the fact that many people attending the Fair have recognized it, but still confuse it with other birds, demonstrates the need to continue raising awareness and working with the community. The returns of the public also allowed visualizing that the community identifies the Association with the Interpretation Center "Estuary of the River Gallegos" (CIERG), where the NGO works, with very positive comments about the work in the Center of all those who visited it while, for those who recognize it but have not yet visited it, the stand at the Provincial Fair provided the opportunity to call them to the interpretive tours offered there, always with free admission.

The information and printed material that was provided in the booth referred fundamentally to the System of Urban Natural Reserves of the city, the conservation situation of the hooded grebe, endemic species (exclusive) of Santa Cruz, and the friendly behaviors with our environment that They recommend, in a month in which the World Environment Day was celebrated and in which the NGO dedicates the whole month to this anniversary with different proposals.

Environmental theater to full room

The two functions of the environmental play "Odyssey for survival", in the Luis Villarreal Auditorium Hall of the Santa Cruz Cultural Complex during the Provincial Book Fair, were held in a full room with the presence of 97 spectators in the first function and 130 in the second, in addition to children sitting in front of the stage and adults standing in the room. The play, directed by Silvina Vilanova, with script by Pablo Lorenzo, is the fourth environmental theater production of Ambiente Sur, with local artists who are part of the interpretation, music, set design and costumes, made with recycled materials. "Odyssey" is aimed at an audience of initial and primary level and its characters represent birds from the estuary of the river Gallegos and relate with humor and in children's code the problems they face for their survival and how we local people should adopt friendly behaviors with the environment that houses these species and of which we are a part.

Asociación Ambiente Sur informed in the framework of the Provincial Fair that will shortly be put into operation at the C.I.E.R.G. an energetically sustainable office and an classroom. The Interpretation Center remains open to all audiences at Carlos Gardel 389 in Río Gallegos, from Monday to Friday from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and on Saturdays, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

These actions are developed within the framework of the NGO Project called "Conservation of Two Focal Migratory Shorebird Species in Southern Patagonia, Argentina: Connecting Communities through Urban Natural Reserves, Environmental Education and Citizen Participation", phase II, financed by The US Fish and Wildlife Service, through the application of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Law of that country.