Abstract:

Urbanization is an important and increasing global issue associated with human activities. Several organizations including the UN have raised concern on the detrimental effects that this process have in the environment itself but also in the living quality and pro-environmental behavior of citizens. In this context, we have recently designed and performed a popularization of science activity consisting in a walk in a nearby urban green area of the University of Granada (Spain). Through this activity, secondary school students were introduced to different aspects of biodiversity, conservation problems and human-nature interactions in cities. The activity main goal was not only to give students concepts but mainly, to stimulate a deeper reflection on how beneficial for our health is the contact with nature, even in an urban environment. Along the walk, they are shown seven sheets elaborated by us in which these aspects are illustrated and explained with the innovative tool of QR codes. As most secondary school students have a mobile phone but are discouraged to use it during a class, the QR codes looked attractive to them as they needed it to fulfill the activity. The activity was therefore fase-to-face but also virtual as the QR codes directed them to a wide array of online resources: short videos, species lists, apps to learn about bird singing/identification, a sound meter for acoustic pollution, among others. Furthermore, codes favor students’ different learning speeds as well as allow them a deeper learning of those subjects that interest them most. At the end, the students were invited to perform a questionnaire about their perception of urban biodiversity, their own interaction with nature and their wellbeing. The activity was very succesful and all time slots offered to schools were booked. We think that this close interaction with our surroundings will provide a unique oportunity to create pro-environmental awareness particularly in relation with urbanization effects in biodiversity and humans. During this communication we will also present the results of the questionnaire and provide some recommendations for other types of public.

Keywords:

Biodiversity, human-nature interactions, popularization of science, QR codes, urbanization.