"Seeking Mountains and Rivers: Exploring the Most Beautiful Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark" - Science Education Campaign Successfully Launched

From September 25 to December 26, 2022, the "Seeking Mountains and Rivers: Exploring the Most Beautiful Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark" science education campaign, hosted by the Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark Management Committee and organized by Wuhan Geo-Journey, was successfully carried out.

Through volunteer lecturers holding science education activities on campus, popular science explanations were provided to students nationwide, covering the geological and geomorphological relics, biodiversity, and cultural history of the Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark. Methods such as interactive Q&A sessions and small games were used to spark students' interest in the park. This initiative guided a wide range of students and teachers to understand the global geopark, thereby achieving broader goals of nature education and promotion. It also helped the scientific knowledge of Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark spread beyond Fujian Province to the whole country.

This science education campaign successively visited South China University of Technology, Ningde Ethnic Middle School, Huangshi No. 7 Middle School, and other schools, covering 15 schools across 9 cities in China, reaching students of various age groups and academic levels. It received enthusiastic responses from over 2,000 teachers and students. The Weibo topic #Seeking Mountains and Rivers: Exploring the Most Beautiful Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark# garnered significant attention, with nearly 7 million reads. The campaign not only enlightened students about geological and geomorphological knowledge but also cultivated their awareness of getting close to nature.

The Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark is located in Ningde City, northeastern Fujian Province, China, with a total area of 2,660 square kilometers. With a sound ecological environment as its carrier and a long history and culture as its connotation, the park is a comprehensive geopark that integrates scientific research, science education, sightseeing, and leisure. It possesses rich scientific connotations, strong local characteristics, and high geological and geomorphological scientific value as well as natural and humanistic scientific value.

It is understood that in recent years, the Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark has held a series of science education activities, achieving certain results in promoting and disseminating related scientific knowledge. Under the influence of the pandemic, innovative activity formats were adopted, combining online and offline methods to carry out science education initiatives. A series of activities, such as science education campaigns on campus and live-streamed science lectures, were organized. These efforts increased public awareness of the global geopark, enhanced public friendliness toward the park, broadened public understanding of the Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark, and strengthened people's awareness of protecting geological relics and their enthusiasm for participating in the conservation of precious resources.