Public awareness and environmental education

The Garajonay National Park is a unique place to which we can access to discover it, to understand it and take care of it, because it belongs to everybody and is for all of us. For this reason, it was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1986. The "Monte Gomero" is a historical and current space, a place where there is a fascinating plant and animal life, a natural and humanized territory, an engine for the economy of the island and a sanctuary for science. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Garajonay every year. All of them are welcome and our claim is that they leave having enjoyed a unique and unrepeatable experience on the island of La Gomera. However, it is fair to recognize that a part of the people that visit us are very special to us: the local population.

In Garajonay, we have been designing, implementing and evaluating projects for the local population for many years. Much of the work and dedication of the Area for Public Use of the National Park is intended for: the educational community, the group of people with disabilities and the local population.

Environmental education projects. These are intended for the entire school community, including teachers and parents associations. Our annual projects have themes (water, World Heritage, fire, laurel… ), adapted to the users in two levels: a specific project for nursery and primary cycle and another one for the rest of students - from secondary schools to adult schools. It combines activities in the classroom with outings to the park. These projects seek to raise consciousness, advertise, playfully entertain, educate, and enjoy an unforgettable experience… By the size of the island, we have the capacity to care for the whole school community, even though the children of the Collective of Rural Schools (Arure, La Dama, Temocodá and Alojera) are a priority for the park.
Projects for the disabled are also thematic, recreational, educational and adapted. With this special group, very important to us, we work on both the centre and the Park. Repopulations, gatherings, excursions, theatre performances, discovery games… these are just a few of the activities that we have developed over the years. It is important to emphasize that we have two Joëlettes (adapted vehicles for travelling through nature with people with disabilities), so that no one loses the opportunity to get to know the mountain.
Extension projects for local population. With the collaboration of the six municipalities of the island, every year we offer a specific extension project to the island. Depending on the objectives set out each year, these can be organized in the Casa de la Cultura (Cultural House) of the village, in the park or in the island. Our intention is that all the gomeras and gomeros get to know their park and their island by walking with us. A newly open path of the park, a traditional path that goes to a hardly visited area of the island… In a nutshell, a nice and active way to get to know your heritage.

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