BLUE ECO PATROL – Workshop on environmental awareness.

On May 27, 2023, the sixth workshop of the Eco Patrol was held under the name “Environmental Awareness”. In the first activity, participants were divided into groups so that each member could participate in the implementation of the experiment. They tested the properties of sea, pond, and tap water. For the performance of the experiment, they received laboratory utensils: a beaker, a glass, a dropper, a funnel, cuvettes, and reagents for testing phosphates, nitrates, and ammonia in water. With the help of a digital thermometer, they measured the temperature of the water, and with the help of indicator papers, they determined the pH value of the samples. At the workshop, they learned that nitrates occur naturally in water and soil as a result of the decomposition of organic matter and the use of fertilizers.

The goal of this activity was: to create a pleasant atmosphere for teamwork, to acquire skills for working with laboratory utensils, and to motivate participants for active participation and learning. The participants gained knowledge about substances that can be found in water and how they are formed. They developed sensitivity and empathy towards the water system on Earth, they stimulated curiosity for a deeper understanding of the global problem of water pollution and the possibility of their own positive action in solving it.

In the second activity, they used the computer to learn how to use “artificial intelligence”, which has become an increasingly popular work tool these days. The participants had 10 minutes to write a question to the “artificial intelligence” on paper, which had to be related to the sea. Some of the questions asked were: “How did Kornati get its name?”, “How many islands do Kornati consist of?”, “Is there another underwater life similar to ours?”, “What is the pH value of acid rain and which are harmful effects?”, “Who discovered the pH value and when did it start to be used as a measure?”, “Why is there salt in the sea?”, “What is the biggest unassisted dive by man?”, “How many oceans have scientists explored ?”, “How deep is the sea?”, “Are there mermaids?”, “How many types of jellyfish are there in the Adriatic Sea?” ….

That’s how we learned that Kornati got its name from the name “kurnata”, which comes from the old Croatian language and means “rocky” or “rocky”. This name is suitable for the islands of Kornati because they are mainly composed of bare rocks, stones, and limestone. The pH value of acid rain can vary but is usually less than 5.6, which is lower than the pH value of clean rain (which is around 5.6 due to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere). They can have harmful effects on plant and animal life when they reach the soil. Acid rain can damage leaves, worsen soil quality, acidify surface and underground waters, and contribute to the corrosion of building materials…

The aim of this workshop was to improve the ability to read with comprehension, organization, division of work, and implementation of one’s own tasks, develop digital competencies, develop the ability to think about the wider context of the story, connect knowledge and developing the ability to make logical conclusions, improving the correct positioning within the given framework, training for work under pressure and under time constraints.

In the third activity, we visited the “Second School Flea Market” which took place in the park on Trg kneza Branimir.

The goal of this activity was to encourage children and young people to adopt ecologically acceptable solutions for the disposal of preserved things and to reduce the amount of waste, all in accordance with the basic guidelines of sustainable development.

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*All activities were carried out as part of the project “Kornati – it is important to know about the Sea 7” financed by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia.