Over 220 students in Savaii were able to connect with nature through the Guardians environmental education campaign led by the Samoa Voyaging Society (SVS) and its various partners. 

The campaign was implemented at Fa’asaleleaga No. 4 and Fa’asaleleaga No. 5 from 13–16 June 2023 and the Palauli to Satupa’itea districts from 27–30 June 2023 with the campaign covering eight primary schools.

Targeting Year 7 primary school students, the Guardians campaign used a practical, hands-on and experiential learning approach – through visits to mangrove forests and snorkelling in the lagoon – together with art, dance and song to connect students to nature.  Students expressed their excitement at the end of each day by singing the campaign jingles and performing war dances and chants designed to reinforce the key messages of the Guardians' campaign.

Through the Guardians campaign, students directly learnt about the marine environment and the impacts of human activity and extreme climatic events on the ecosystems. A strong focus was on hope and solutions, and inspiring students to consider their role as future guardians of the fragile environment.

Laga’aia Telea, the Principal of Palauli Primary School, expressed his gratitude for having his school included in the Guardians campaign.

“The campaign is very important as it prepares our children as guardians of our environment," he said. "We are all aware of the problems affecting our environment because of human activities and we are hopeful that our new Guardians will be the answer to these problems."

Pouiva Tupai, a teacher from Saipipi Primary School, echoed positive sentiments.

“The experiential nature of the Guardians campaign is important to reinforce what has been taught in classrooms as the students are very excited about the activities and the teaching styles that are used in the campaign,” he said.

The seven education modules focused on the following key areas: Trash Star – Dispose of waste wisely for a healthy Samoa, Wise Fisher – Conduct and promote sustainable management of fisheries resources for continual benefits for Samoans, Tree Guardian – Sustainable utilization of our land and trees for continual benefits for Samoa, Coral Champion – Protect and sustain good coral health for Samoa’s livelihood, coastal protection and healthy marine environment,  and Samoan Voyager –  Revive our traditional sustainable practices and skills in innovation and observational science.

The campaign is a partnership program implemented jointly by Conservation International, Samoa Voyaging Society, and the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF). 

The campaign has been running for over five years and is aligned with Samoa’s National School Curriculum. All partners are supportive of the campaign being provided to all primary schools in Samoa in time. The Guardians campaign will move to Upolu in 2024. The campaign for Savaii was made possible with funding support from the New Zealand MFAT Manaaki Project and the Waitt Institute/Blue Prosperity Coalition.