We teach about climate change and sustainable development

Climate change has a huge global impact, especially on people in the developing world. We want everyone, wherever they live, to understand climate change, its impact on their own lives and the lives of others, and how they can reduce the impact by learning to live more sustainably.

Empowering women to benefit from saving energy

Women in Uganda are being taught how to make insulated baskets to reduce their use of cooking fuels, which saves them time and is beneficial to their health.

Helping schools to understand climate change

A Rocha is helping young people in many countries to get to grips with climate change. In Portugal, for example, it’s part of the 8th grade national science curriculum, so when students visit the A Rocha study centre they not only learn about renewable energy, but see migrating birds in the hand, and discover how these warblers, thrushes and chats can be affected. A Rocha Portugal has also been training science teachers locally and internationally: in 2015 a group from Finland, Romania, Estonia, Netherlands and Portugal came specifically to learn about climate change. They discovered the relevance of A Rocha Portugal’s long-term butterfly and moth monitoring, which can indicate changes in flight periods, as well as the distribution of species.

Near Kitui, in south-eastern Kenya, Climate Stewards’ partners are working with churches and schools to plant indigenous trees on their sites. Participants are excited by the prospect of creating shady areas on their compound, improving the soil structure and preventing erosion and generating a crop of sustainable timber which they can use or sell for long-term use in construction or furniture.