International Day of Education: Semillas Ancestrales

Environmental Education from the Territory

Semillas Ancestrales works with rural Amazonian schools to introduce students to forest stewardship from an early age. The project focuses on native tree species that have gradually declined due to deforestation and selective logging, including lupuna, shihuahuaco, rosewood, moena, and sangre de grado.

Children do more than learn to identify these species. They actively participate in planting and caring for them, gaining an understanding of their ecological, cultural, and social value within the Amazon ecosystem.

This approach allows environmental education to have a direct and practical role in the daily life of each community.

The Huayo Method as the Foundation of Learning

The project is implemented through the Huayo Method, an educational approach based on experiential learning. The method uses tools adapted to the Amazonian context, such as storytelling, music, outdoor activities, and hands-on work in the forest.

The objective is for students to understand how the ecosystem around them functions and to recognize their own role within it. Learning is built through direct experience and guided by trained educators who work closely with the community.

What is the Huayo Method?

It is an educational methodology that prioritizes direct experience, designed specifically for Amazonian contexts and applied by locally trained teachers.

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Semillas Ancestrales Forests: Open-Air Classrooms

One of the core components of the project is the creation of Semillas Ancestrales Forests, reforestation spaces managed by the schools themselves. These areas function as open-air classrooms where students learn about natural cycles, soil care, and shared environmental responsibility.

Each child follows the growth of a specific tree, strengthening their connection to the environment and encouraging long-term stewardship. Currently, the project involves more than 700 children in rural and riverine communities across the Loreto region.

What do students learn in these school forests?

They learn to identify native species, understand their growth processes, and take collective responsibility for environmental care.

Teacher Training and Educational Continuity

Semillas Ancestrales also places strong emphasis on training rural teachers. More than 30 educators have been trained in the Huayo Method, including bilingual teachers who work in Spanish and Indigenous languages such as Kukama.

Teachers receive contextualized educational materials, allowing learning to continue beyond initial workshops and become part of daily classroom practice. This ensures the continuity of the project and its adaptation to each community.

Is the project limited to one-time workshops?

No. Teacher training and educational materials enable the method to be applied consistently over time.

Education, Culture, and Conservation

Local knowledge plays a central role in the educational process. Through stories, traditional practices, and the use of Indigenous languages, students learn about the cultural significance of the species they plant and protect.

This integration strengthens community identity and reinforces the connection between environmental education and Amazon forest conservation.

An Educational Approach with Long-Term Impact

Semillas Ancestrales views education as a key tool for conservation. By engaging children, teachers, and communities, the project contributes to shaping a generation that understands how the Amazon ecosystem works and actively participates in its protection.

On the International Day of Education, this approach highlights the importance of developing educational methodologies rooted in the territory—where learning and conservation are part of the same process.