Environmental Education: Why Building Knowledge is Essential for Go Balance REDD+
Empowering Communities, Protecting Forests: Why Environmental Education is at the Heart of the Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project
At Go Balance, we believe that protecting forests goes hand in hand with empowering people — and environmental education is at the very heart of that mission. Through the implementation of the Trocano Project REDD+ initiative in the municipality of Borba, Amazonas, our approach combines forest conservation with meaningful education initiatives. These programs build awareness, resilience, and long-term stewardship of the natural world.
This isn’t a secondary action. It’s a fundamental pillar of how we deliver verified climate impact, foster genuine community engagement, and contribute to lasting positive change.
Environmental Education for All Ages in the Trocano REDD+ Project
Our education programmes span every generation — from the youngest students discovering the wonders of nature, to senior community members gaining new knowledge about sustainable practices, and everyone in between. We place a strong emphasis on creating equal opportunities for women, ensuring our activities empower all members of the community. From playful classroom activities to practical workshops for adults, our programmes make environmental knowledge engaging and accessible for all.
How Education Connects Communities to Climate Action
The Trocano Project operates in a region of extraordinary ecological richness, where communities have a deep connection to the forest and its resources. Our education initiatives build on this foundation, bridging global environmental issues with the realities of daily life in the Amazon. By making climate topics relevant to local experiences, we help people see how protecting forests directly supports their families, livelihoods, and future.
These efforts are designed to be engaging, practical, and empowering, ensuring that everyone — from schoolchildren to elders — can participate meaningfully in sustainable forest management. Whether it’s understanding the importance of biodiversity, learning about waste reduction, or discovering sustainable ways to boost incomes, our programmes translate complex climate concepts into accessible knowledge that communities can use and share.
When people see how conservation strengthens their own well-being, it transforms forest protection into a shared goal rooted in local pride, rather than an imposed obligation.
Key Environmental Education Initiatives in the Trocano Project
The Trocano Araretama Project has delivered a series of creative and impactful educational activities in collaboration with local government, educators, and community members. Here are just a few highlights that illustrate how we bring environmental education to life:
International Biodiversity Day for Borba Students
In May 2025, we marked International Biodiversity Day with a vibrant educational session in partnership with SEMED/Borba. Students learned about biodiversity’s importance through interactive games, quizzes, and lively discussions. One highlight was an activity where students passed balloons containing biodiversity questions, then burst them to reveal challenges inside. This activity turned learning into a joyful and unforgettable experience. We rewarded correct answers with chocolate treats, making the day educational and celebratory.
Recycled Toy Contest: Creativity Meets Conservation
Now in its third edition, our recycled toy contest challenges students across Borba to create toys entirely from recyclable materials. This initiative sparks creativity, promotes teamwork, and delivers valuable lessons on reuse, waste reduction, and the environmental impact of consumption. The contest has quickly become a favourite annual tradition among local families, bringing sustainability into homes in a practical and fun way.
Training in Sustainable Stingless Bee Breeding
Environmental education isn’t just for children — it extends to adults, too. Through workshops on stingless bee breeding (meliponiculture), we help rural communities learn about sustainable income opportunities that support biodiversity and forest health. Participants discover the vital ecological role of native bees and acquire skills to manage them sustainably, empowering families to build livelihoods in harmony with nature.
Women-Led Sustainable Composting Course
Our training programme in sustainable composting — led by women, for women — focused on practical, hands-on techniques to transform household organic waste into nutrient-rich compost. By reducing landfill waste and improving soil health, these workshops not only support local food security but also strengthen women’s leadership roles in environmental stewardship within their communities.
Women’s Health and Wellbeing Event: Empowerment Through Education
The Trocano Project hosted a Women’s Health and Wellbeing event in São José do Miriti. We combined health outreach with environmental education during the event. The initiative provided essential information on preventive care, maternal health, and nutrition. It also offered a safe space for open dialogue on important topics. By empowering women with knowledge, we strengthen community resilience and support long-term forest protection through healthier, informed communities.
Building Foundations for Lasting Impact
All these initiatives share a belief in community agency — the idea that understanding and valuing the environment inspires protection. This is especially true in the Amazon, where daily decisions by local people directly shape the forest’s future. Through education, the Trocano REDD+ Project empowers communities to make decisions guided by awareness, knowledge, and shared responsibility. Each lesson delivered, game played, and skill taught invests in a future where communities and forests can thrive together.
Aligning Environmental Education with REDD+ Integrity
While REDD+ projects are often judged by carbon metrics alone, we believe social drivers of deforestation must also be addressed. That’s why we embed environmental education into the Trocano Project’s implementation strategy. This approach contributes directly to emissions reductions, stronger forest governance, and more resilient communities.
This approach fully aligns with our use of the Natural Forest Standard (NFS). The NFS recognises that lasting carbon integrity depends on addressing both ecological and social dimensions of forest conservation. By helping local people become active participants in environmental protection, we create impacts that go far beyond credit issuance. These impacts are measured not just in tonnes of carbon, but in lives transformed and futures safeguarded.
Go Balance REDD: A Holistic Approach to Climate Action
The Go Balance approach to REDD+ is not about carbon in isolation. We see it as part of a bigger picture: protecting biodiversity, strengthening communities, and creating shared value through informed participation. Our recent article explains how Go Balance delivers verified REDD+ impact with Natural Capital Credits.
Environmental education is the bridge connecting these priorities. It is the essential thread tying forest protection to human well-being and climate security. We will continue expanding this work to ensure communities experience the Trocano Project’s benefits for generations to come.
Interested in learning more about how we link education, forest protection and climate results?
Explore our community impact stories on the Go Balance Blog or the Trocano Araretama Project website.
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