WLI World September 2026
From Awareness to Action: Empowering Schools and Communities to Protect the Singkil Peat Swamp
Credit PKGB. Group photo of participating students, facilitators, local education authorities, and school principals at the Environmental Education Programme, Singkil, Aceh, January 2026
Conservation is often most successful when it begins with people. While scientific research and policy are essential, lasting environmental protection depends on communities that understand, value, and actively participate in safeguarding their natural surroundings. This principle became the foundation of the Empowering Schools and Communities for Wetland Conservation in Singkil Peat Swamp project, implemented by Pusat Riset Konservasi Gajah dan Biodiversitas Hutan (PKGB) with support from Wetland Link International (WLI) and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). The project was designed to strengthen environmental awareness among young people while simultaneously building local capacity to support conservation and sustainable ecotourism.
Located in Aceh Province, the Singkil Peat Swamp is one of Indonesia’s most valuable wetland ecosystems. The landscape supports rich biodiversity, stores vast amounts of carbon, and provides essential ecosystem services for surrounding communities. Despite its ecological significance, many schools and villages around the peat swamp remain geographically isolated, limiting access to conservation education, environmental information, and opportunities to engage with wider conservation initiatives. As a result, many young people grow up surrounded by extraordinary natural resources without fully understanding their ecological importance or the role they can play in protecting them.
To address this challenge, the project organized an interactive Environmental Education Programme that brought together students from 13 senior high schools across Aceh Singkil. Originally planned as separate school visits, widespread flooding required the programme to be adapted into a centralized event where students from multiple schools could participate together. Rather than allowing these logistical challenges to reduce the project’s impact, the team transformed them into an opportunity to foster interaction among students from different schools while ensuring that conservation education reached its intended audience.
Over the course of the programme, more than 400 students participated in engaging learning sessions focusing on peatland ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and the importance of wetlands in supporting both wildlife and human well-being. Discussions highlighted threats facing the Singkil Peat Swamp, including habitat degradation, canal construction, biodiversity loss, and the increasing impacts of climate change. Instead of relying solely on lectures, facilitators encouraged students to ask questions, exchange ideas, and reflect on how environmental issues affect their own communities. This interactive approach created an active learning environment where students were encouraged to become part of the solution rather than simply recipients of information.
To reinforce learning beyond the classroom, participants received educational materials including conservation posters and learning modules that schools can continue using in future lessons. While improved knowledge was reflected through increased understanding of wetland conservation concepts, one of the project’s most encouraging outcomes was a noticeable shift in students’ attitudes. Many expressed enthusiasm for participating in future environmental activities and showed interest in establishing school-based nature clubs, demonstrating that conservation education can inspire young people to become active environmental stewards rather than passive observers.
Recognizing that successful conservation also depends on strong community involvement, the project complemented its educational activities with a three-day Guide Capacity-Building Workshop for ten local youth representatives. The training was designed not only to improve participants’ ecological knowledge but also to equip them with practical skills that could support sustainable livelihoods through community-based ecotourism. Participants learned about peatland ecology, local biodiversity, wildlife identification, guiding techniques, communication skills, and environmental interpretation before applying these skills during field exercises within the peat swamp ecosystem.
The field component became one of the most valuable aspects of the training. Participants explored the landscape directly, practiced identifying plants and wildlife, and learned how to communicate ecological information in ways that would be meaningful to future visitors. By combining classroom instruction with practical experience, the workshop helped transform theoretical knowledge into practical conservation skills. More importantly, participants gained confidence in their ability to act as local conservation ambassadors capable of sharing environmental messages with both visitors and members of their own communities.
The project’s success was further strengthened through collaboration with a diverse network of stakeholders, including the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), the Department of Tourism, the Department of Education, Syiah Kuala University, the Biology Teachers’ Forum (MGMP), local schools, and community organizations. This partnership ensured that project activities reflected local priorities while building institutional support that will help sustain conservation efforts beyond the project’s completion. By involving educators, government agencies, researchers, and community members, the initiative promoted a shared sense of responsibility for protecting the Singkil Peat Swamp.
Beyond its immediate activities, the project produced a range of practical outputs that will continue supporting conservation efforts. Educational modules, conservation posters, training booklets, and photo documentation were developed to enable future replication of the programme. These resources provide schools with materials for continued environmental education while offering local organizations practical tools for community outreach and awareness campaigns. At the same time, the trained community nature guides represent an important local resource for future ecotourism initiatives and conservation programmes throughout the Singkil landscape.
Looking ahead, project partners plan to encourage participating schools to integrate the educational materials into regular learning activities and support the establishment of student environmental clubs. The newly trained guides will also be encouraged to apply their skills through community-based ecotourism initiatives, environmental interpretation programmes, and conservation outreach. Local stakeholders have already identified opportunities such as birdwatching tourism that could provide both conservation benefits and sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities. Continued collaboration among government agencies, schools, universities, and community organizations will be essential to ensure that the project’s achievements continue to grow in the years ahead.
Although the project was implemented over just four months, its impact extends far beyond the activities themselves. More than educational sessions or training workshops, the initiative helped foster a new generation of students and community members who are better informed, more confident, and more motivated to protect the Singkil Peat Swamp. By bringing together education, capacity building, and local partnerships, the project demonstrated that conservation becomes most effective when communities are empowered to become active participants in protecting the ecosystems on which both biodiversity and human well-being depend.
Credit PKGB. Local youth participants receive a pre-field briefing on Day 3, preparing for practical learning 
Credit PKGB. Students attentively follow the conservation education session on wetland ecosystems and biodiversity
See their WLI member profile
Back to WLI World September 2026.