Primary school students enjoyed a water conservation summer camp in the Zhoushan Archipelago, learning about the environment and the need to conserve water. They even preached the message to strangers, getting them to sign personal save-water pledges. Li Anlan reports.

Students from Putuo District took part in a water conservation camp — “Love the Water of Life” — over three days at Zhujiajian in Zhejiang Province.

Zhujiajian is an island in the Zhoushan Archipelago where there’s water everywhere and China’s biggest fishery, but much of the water is polluted.

Participants came from Huayin and Hengde primary schools in Putuo; the affiliated primary school of Xinsu Normal School from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province; and the Zhujiajian Primary School in Zhujiajian, Zhejiang.

The camp from July 16-18 included classes in ocean science, as well as water experience in the archipelago and group community projects. Each school shared its water conservation and related courses and children from different provinces got a chance to interact and exchange ideas.

The program is part of the Swarovski Water School project in China, coordinated by UNESCO, the National Project, the Shangri-la Institute and Swarovski.

The program also operates along the Yangtze River in the Yunnan region of the Tibetan Plateau, Sichuan Province, and Shanghai. The program is taught in 52 schools and communities.

The aim is to raise public awareness and encourage public participation in responsible water resource management.

In the water camp, Putuo students took a five-hour bus ride to Zhoushan and then toured Daqingshan national park, exploring the ecology of the region. They were joined by students from the other two provinces.

“I really liked visiting Daqingshan and the beach. It was my first time and it was great,” said Gu Daocheng, a fourth grader from Huayin Primary School.

In the highlight of the camp, groups of seven students walked around Zhujiajian and went up to strangers, talking to them about the importance of water conservation.

They handed out leaflets and got signatures on the pledge to save and protect water resources.

It was difficult because many children are shy and initiating a conversation with someone they don’t know can be intimidating. Working in groups made it easier and encouraged team work and communications skills.

“The special mission was talking to people they don’t know and passing on the message about cherishing water and using ‘green’ transportation,” said Dai Jian of The Youth Center of Putuo District Shanghai who accompanied the students.

Students explained basic concepts about the need to protect water resources and not to waste water. Not everyone was receptive.

“We had different problems. A lot of street vendors tried to avoid us using all sorts of excuses, but we had to be patient and explain the importance of the issue,” said Guo Ziqi, a fifth grader from Hengde Primary School.

One student approached a seafood seller who was busy and couldn’t write so he called his daughter, but she didn’t want to sign on the pledge. Another student came up with the idea of helping the vendors sell seafood, thus, encouraging them to listen.

“Eventually they listened to us and agreed not to waste water,” Guo recalled.

Students also passed out fans shaped like water droplets and containing basic tips on water resource protection.

Each school offered different courses, six in total, and each had 20 students. They were classes in ocean exploration, water activity, sand sculpture, meteorology, handicrafts and cooking.

In cooking class, Zeng Yang from Huayin Primary School learned to make Shanghai-style stir-fried shrimp.

“At homes we are always taken care of by our parents who don’t let us to do housework like this. Learning to cook was first step for us,”  she said.

The students ate the dishes they cooked, then washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

In the ocean exploration class Gu from Huayin Primary School learned how salt water is converted to fresh water.

Wang Yilu from Hengde Primary School took the water conservation course, learning that the earth is 70 percent water and only 30 percent land. “But that doesn’t mean we can waste water, because only a very small portion is fresh water and now a lot of that is polluted,” Wang said. “So it’s very important to conserve water in our daily life.”

The students also tried sand sculpture, making sculptures related to water, such as hands holding a water drop.

“We also taught students good tourist manners throughout the trip, such as being polite and not yelling in loud voices,” said Dai. The students were also encouraged to finish their meals and not to leave leftover food.

The aim of the camp was not only to provide fun and knowledge, but also to help students learn how to learn, an ability they don’t always acquire in a regimented classroom.

The three-day camp cost 650 yuan (US$105) per child, basically covering transport, meals and accommodation.

“If there are future programs like this, I’ll take part again,” said Guo.

Next year the water program will be held in Jiangsu Province and in 2015 it will be held in Shanghai.

The water program wasn’t the only one offered students in Putuo. The Youth Center of Putuo District Shanghai coordinated several other camps, including a four-day photography trip to Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province. Students then submitted their works in a competition.

Other camps offered adventure, study of ecological diversity and field surveys of plants and animals.

This year more than 400 students and teachers from across Putuo participated in the summer camp, according to local education authority.

Shi Yuchen, a third-grader from the Affiliated Primary School of East China Normal University, said he was very interested in an experiment to attract insects with light. It was an activity in the camp studying ecological diversity.

“At night, we pitched up a piece of white cloth on the ground of the campsite and shone a light on it. Soon hundreds of insects were attracted to the cloth. Then the teacher helped us identify the insects,” he said.

“It was amazing!

“I’m looking forward to more camping programs.”