The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) organised the second edition of the Eco-Explorer Bootcamp, engaging 160 children between the ages of 6 and 15 in practical activities designed to promote environmental awareness, protection and responsibility.

The programme, held at Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja, provided the children with hands-on opportunities to learn about environmental protection and develop practical skills they could replicate in their homes and communities.

Speaking during the programme, Ms. Tolulope Adebowale, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Environmental Protection Matters, said the bootcamp was designed to teach children about environmental protection and responsibility while developing them as changemakers today, rather than simply preparing them as future leaders.

She explained that the children participated in gardening, planting, upcycling plastic bottles and spoons, reusing waste fabric, environmental painting and science experiments. They also took part in quizzes and competitions aimed at stimulating their creativity, inquisitiveness and active participation.

According to Adebowale, the practical approach was intended to ensure that the lessons remained with the children beyond the bootcamp, enabling them to return home and replicate what they had learned.

She stressed that everyone has a role to play in protecting the environment, noting that environmental responsibility should be cultivated from childhood because habits developed at an early age can remain with children throughout their lives.

Adebowale also pointed to the impact of the first edition, noting that some of the children who participated had taken the lessons back home and demonstrated greater responsibility towards the environment.

Also speaking, Mrs. Abolanle Kasumu, a Director at LASEPA, described the Eco-Explorer Bootcamp 2.0 as an engaging and worthwhile initiative for children, stressing the importance of introducing environmental education at an early age.

Kasumu noted that children have a remarkable ability to learn quickly and absorb information, making childhood an important period for building environmental consciousness.

She said the bootcamp was helping children become more conscious of their surroundings, understand the importance of the environment, explore it responsibly and learn practical ways they could contribute to its protection and sustainability.

A parent, Dr. Rafiat Gawat, expressed delight at participating in the Eco-Explorer Bootcamp again, describing the programme as a valuable way of introducing children to environmental consciousness.

She commended LASEPA and the Lagos State Government for the initiative, recalling that during the first edition, the children received potted plants which they nurtured themselves.

According to Gawat, the experience gave the children an opportunity to care for their plants and develop a stronger sense of responsibility towards the environment.

The second edition of the Eco-Explorer Bootcamp reinforced the importance of starting environmental education early, equipping children with practical knowledge and encouraging them to become responsible stewards of their surroundings.