CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Andean pastoralism, as other pastoral systems around the world, is under stress due to climate change, land tenure regimes, pressures to sedentize, difficulties in articulating with market-based economies, isolation and youth emigration. Over the years we have proposed different environmental education strategies targeting local Andean stakeholders and university students, including interventions in primary schools. This paper presents the results of four environmental education interventions focusing on mountain environments, their biodiversity, environmental calendars and llama caravans. School children participated creatively in this process by writing poems, drawing and playing. The resulting production showed sensitivity, experiential knowledge and a comprehensive vision of the environment. Most of the art works were printed and disseminated in their local communities, where they are highly appreciated. We recognize that the usefulness of environmental education is constrained by social and economic pressures and extractive activities, but we also underscore its huge potential to guarantee sustainability in the inevitable process of change of traditional Andean pastoralism.