Mangrove Education and Restoration Program Blog

Sometimes as an educator it is difficult to inspire students, even if we are passionate about an issue. No matter what I do in the classroom, I still feel like I can’t reach some youth. It’s not always easy to get students excited about mangroves because at first they are just seen as trees.

So the question becomes…

How do we inspire people to care for mangroves?

I could respond with:

There is so much more to these mysterious trees. These coastal wetlands create a sanctuary for an extraordinary range of creatures. Three-fourths of all tropical fish are born here and countless reptiles and birds call this ecosystem home. They filter nutrients and toxins out of the water, provide protection in extreme weather, and are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet.

I would hope that this statement alone inspires you, but there is only so much words and facts can do – so we made a film to help. I invite you to watch Inside the Mangrove Forest.

Now are you inspired? I hope that we were able to stimulate you with the visual beauty and importance of this unique ecosystem. At the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, film is one of the methods we use to teach and inspire conservation of the natural world.

We created this mangrove education film for our Mangrove Education and Restoration Programs. One of our goals is to continue improving and enhancing these programs by adding additional curriculum (such as films). This film helps to portray the beauty of the mangrove ecosystem and helps students who do not get to visit a mangrove forest in person understand why they are special and important. We hope that this film helps inspires students to become stewards of this vital ecosystem.