Exploring the wonders of wetlands with the Kit ‘Salt Gardens’

The Kit Salt Gardens is an educational project on coastal geosciences composed of a box containing bricks and miniatures that exemplify the natural elements of the tidal wetlands (such as sediment, water, animal species, and typical vegetation). It allows hands-on activities related to wetlands ecogeomorphology and climate change. The Kit was developed for primary school students, assisted by a teacher/monitor, and the progression in the Kit is made in two levels. In the first level, for children aged 6 to 8 years old, concepts such as habitat composition, sediment, plants, and the effect of the tide on the environment, are explored. The Ria Formosa wetland's diversity inspired the natural elements that compose the Kit. Through storytelling, a narrative is created with various characters (animals) that inhabit the salt marshes (Alex the crab, Sam the seahorse, Cris the flamingo, and Manu the lost turtle) and the iconic plants (Zostera noltei, Spartina maritima, and Limoniastrum monopetalum). The first level guides the children through various games (e.g., building games, matching games) to the construction of the habitat, thus explaining how the marshes are formed. In the second level, for children aged 9 to 10, participants learn about climate change, sea-level rise, and climate scenarios (using climate cards). Students are invited to understand the physical (geomorphological) and ecological processes that regulate the formation of these environments, by constructing wetlands zones, while understanding the main threats (e.g., sediment supply, sea-level rise).

The aim is to promote children's literacy on coastal dynamics as they “build their marsh”, answer quizzes, and play with images and dices. The teacher/monitor can use the kit for other classroom activities. They can use it, for example, to explore the setting and characters for a new story, to serve as an introduction to a field trip to the coastal zone, or as an orientation exercise for group work. The handling of the Kit by the students is intended to generate critical thinking and creativity while empowering them with knowledge about the world around them.

 

Acknowledgments

The project was funded in 2022 by the British Society of Geomorphology and Wiley. A.R. Carrasco by the contract CEECINST/00052/2021/CP2792/CT0007 funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). The authors also recognize the support of national funds through FCT, under project LA/P/0069/2020, granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET, and project UID/00350/2020 granted to CIMA (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/00350/2020).