Teachers and coordinators of non-formal education groups, such as environmental awareness raising centres, libraries environmental clubs, scouts groups and tutors will now have free access to the materials of the "Azores Biodiversity Kit" that were made available online.
The kit was created by the Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources, as a contribution to the Regional Plan for Environmental and Awareness Raising (PRESAA) under the "Mais Endémicas" initiative (biodiversity conservation programme) with the purpose of distributing contents on the native and endemic species of the archipelago adapted to elementary school level. The contents are available at: http://www.azores.gov.pt/Gra/srrn-educar/conteudos/livres/Mais+Endémicas+-+Kit+da+Biodiversidade.htm.
Since its public presentation at the 10th Regional Meeting of Environmental Education and Eco-Schools in September 2012, the "Azores Biodiversity Lit" has been distributed across the archipelago through the Regional Network of "Ecotecas" (Environmental Awareness Raising Centres), covering a total of 740 teachers and 12,672 schools from 158 public and private elementary schools.
The kit was also distributed among "Ecotecas," which are integrated in the Natural Park of each island; it is used in conjunction with other teaching resources to promote sessions or to be borrowed to schools.
The kit distributed among schools consists of a pen disk containing educational proposals and study sheets, a short film that documents the Region's biodiversity and the environmental services that manage its ecosystems, a brochure featuring a children's tale, a set of three Azorean endemic species, a bag containing substrate and posters of the Azores' ecosystems and protected endemic species.
Furthermore, the kit also includes a game titled "Avental de Histórias" (Story Apron) that features the Azores' Flora, Fauna, Habitats, Geodiversity, Renewable Energy and Environmental Tips as well as set of 23 jigsaw puzzles depicting fauna and flora species and protected landscapes.