Abstract for Third Mediterranean Conference on Marine Turtles, Tunisia 2008 Approaching Environmental Education and Awareness Creatively: ‘Niretta the Caretta’ Venizelos, Lily (1) and Ioannou, Jenny (2)

(1) MEDASSET (medasset@medasset.gr) (2) MEDASSET (medasset@medasset.gr)

With environmental education established in the 1980s, late in the development of Greece’s education system and still lacking to this day, it is essential for environmental non-governmental organisations to engage in activities targeted at schools, youth institutions and general public to help increase environmental consciousness. A new initiative by MEDASSET- the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles, is the creative learning and awareness raising programme of ‘Niretta the Caretta’, launched successfully in 2008. The programme follows the organisation’s long running ‘Small Garbage’ campaign that has run for ten years and succeeded in raising awareness throughout Mediterranean countries about the effects of the small pieces of personal waste, casually discarded on beaches or directly into the sea that have devastating effects on the marine environment. The overall vision of the project is to give a fresh face to sea turtle conservation in Greece through the use of a creative and innovative approach. Appealing to children and the public alike, MEDASSET’s “Niretta the Caretta” sea turtle mascot is effective in conveying environmental education messages in its immediacy and appeal. A partnership with the Hellenic Children’s Museum in Athens is leading to the creation of Niretta’s home, a space within the Museum that acts as the sea turtle’s habitat in the Mediterranean. A range of pedagogical learning tools including wall illustrations and props are combined to create an environment which facilitates the process of learning and relates the value of coexistence between all species to the children. Word Count: 245 Key words: marine turtles, environmental education, mascot Presenter: Lily Venizelos Equipment: Poster presentation