Engaging children in environmental education activities: the Sketchlagoon data visualization tool

As part of our dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities, we look for ways to engage communities and spread knowledge about the challenges that the Mar Menor lagoon is facing. Our latest tool is Sketchlagoon, an interactive application designed to raise awareness about environmental issues through children’s art and conversational generative AI. In particular, Sketchlagoon offers a fresh and engaging way to learn about saltwater lagoons and their significance, taking users on a journey that begins with an exploration of the importance of saltwater lagoons globally, narrowing in on the Mar Menor and the role of the SMARTLAGOON initiative in its preservation.

 

Two screens of the Sketchlagoon application.

 

Earlier this December, we introduced Sketchlagoon to two classes of primary school students from the Colegio Católico San Vicente De Paúl, in Murcia. These activities were designed to foster an understanding of the Mar Menor’s ecological challenges while presenting the SMARTLAGOON project and results.

Our activities began with a presentation about the Mar Menor, where we used Sketchlagoon to share insights into its unique ecosystem, the environmental pressures it faces, and the ways SMARTLAGOON is working to address these issues.

One special thing about Sketchlagoon is that the drawings we used in our visualization were not created by us. Back in 2022, children of the Felix Rodriguez de La Fuente primary school in Los Nietos participated in a citizen science activity, where they expressed their views on the Mar Menor’s ecosystem using art. Their wonderful work has now been integrated into our tool so it can help others learn about the lagoon.

A highlight of the day came near the end of the activities. After writing down some questions they would ask the lagoon if it were a person, students discovered that, through Sketchlagoon, they could actually talk to the Mar Menor, interacting with it and getting answers directly from it. Through the app’s AI-powered interaction, we hope to have created a memorable and meaningful connection to the lagoon.

 

 

The engagement of students reaffirmed the importance of involving younger generations in the conversation about environmental conservation. By combining innovative tools like Sketchlagoon with interactive community activities, SMARTALGOON aims to empower the next generation to care for the Mar Menor and other vital ecosystems.