Impressions of a working visit to French Guiana and the Trésor reserve
Vijko P.A. Lukkien and Pipasi Jeurissen
Previous to the annual trip with contributors of the Trésor foundation through Suriname and French Guiana we paid a working visit to our co-workers of the Association Trésor, the local government and a number for Trésor important organisations from 6 until 12 February.
The entire regional council of French Guiana voted in favour of the new status for the reserve.
photo Olivier Tostain
Important issues during our visit are the determining meeting of the Conseil Régional (the French Guianese Parliament) about the new status (Réserve Naturelle Régionale) of our reserve, the continuing collaboration with the WWF of French Guiana and of course the annual meeting of our Association Trésor.
On Saturday 6 February we depart together with a group of participants in the trip from Amsterdam to Paramaribo, where we arrive at noon, local time. The following morning on Sunday the group starts the trip through Suriname led by Thomas Polimé (tour guide for Suriname) and we continue our travels over land to French Guiana with Cayenne as our final destination.
We drive with Edmundo Masidjan (Thomas' nephew) along the coastal road to the French-Guianan border, then cross the Marowijne river in a corial and arrive around 2 p.m. at St. Laurent (French Guiana). Here our forester Jean-François (Jef) en Benoît (Ben) are awaiting us with the Trésor vehicle to proceed to Cayenne, where we arrive in the evening.
Marrondorp
This trip to St. Laurent is something special. Edmundo belongs to the descendants of the former slaves (Marrons) who ran away from the plantations and offers to show us his native village. So just short of the border we leave the main road and follow a long dirt track (laterite) into a savannah and forest area. This village with its typical houses is called Peeto-ondoo, which means 'underneath the (big) tree'. And indeed at the edge of the village there is a huge tree underneath which is a small open air workshop where corials are being built. Thus we had returned to the film 'Avatar', which we had watched together with our children just before we left. A real 'Mother Tree', as in the film (only slightly smaller). The village is beautifully situated at a tributary of a river. In this creek there are dozens of small corials which, contrary to convention, have not been adapted to be propelled by outboard motors, but are hand-rowed. Edmundo explained to us that the fields are at such close range that an outboard motor is not necessary and thus many expenses are being saved. Sent off by the family, Edmundo being provided with food as usual, we say goodbye and set out to the border.
In St. Laurent we are being welcomed by Jef and Ben for the trip of almost 250 kilometres to Cayenne. On the way we have to suddenly stop more than once because of animals crossing the road or (alas) having been hit and lying dead alongside the road to be identified. And thus we are able to admire the beautiful Green Vine Snake (Oxybelis fulgidus) at close quarters.
A Green Vine Snake which managed to cross the road unharmed.
Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus).
photos Olivier Tostain
Taken care of down to the last detail
But after all this early the next morning the real working visit starts with numerous meetings and gatherings. With Olivier Tostain (chairman of our Association) we discuss the agenda for the week and meetings are being scheduled. Between all our appointments we are often in the tiny office of the Association Trésor to discuss the many practical matters concerning the management of our reserve with Jef en Ben and of course we visit the Trésor reserve several times. The overall impression we get is the members of the Association having matters perfectly under control. Everything at the office is well organized and the entry building and educational trail haven been taken care of down to the last detail.
Trésor officially becomes Réserve Naturelle
On behalf of the Trésor Foundation Vijko Lukkien signs the related documents.
photo Olivier Tostain
The preliminary committee meeting of the Conseil Régional (the Regional Council of French Guiana) is important, because the details of the new articles of association belonging to the Réserve Naturelle Régionale Trésor status are being discussed with us. During these long meetings with civil servants and councillors on Wednesday all related documents are discussed in a positive atmosphere and questions answered. Olivier Tostain gives an excellent presentation about the importance of the new status to us.
The meeting ends with the chairman, mr. Cybrellus announcing that the committee will advise positively to the chairman and members of Conseil Régional in a meeting to be held two days later. Relieved Olivier and Jef (also present) literally jump into the air. On this Friday morning at 9 .a.m. the entire Council is present at the last meeting before the next elections and Trésor is the second item on the agenda. There is a full public gallery. I (Vijko) meet several of the councillors whom I previously have only talked to on the phone from Utrecht and together with Olivier Tostain we really tensely wait.
After fifteen minutes Trésor comes up. The chairman, mr. Antoine Karam, of the Council gives some explanation after which voting starts. All documents are being agreed on, without any objections being lodged. Felicitations from various sides, Trésor has really booked a great success. Together with Olivier Tostain and mrs.Karin Nèron who has Trésor in het portfolio I sign all related documents.
By then Pipasi is en route with Jef and Ben with the vans to await the group travelling to Trésor from St. Laurent. I myself depart later, after having coffee with Olivier, with the Trésor vehicle in the same direction, somewhat proud, certainly, but particularly with the marvellous feeling that together with the volunteers, contributors and organisations who have supported us yet for fifteen years we are working on a beautiful project.
With Laurent Kelle, director of the World Wildlife Fund in French Guiana, we talk about nature preservations schemes in which we as Trésor and Utrecht University might collaborate. It soon becomes apparent that both organisations may perfectly collaborate in a research program initiated by the WWF to provide more understanding in the degree of deforestation and the measure of deterioration of forest quality in the three Guianas.
Two students of Utrecht Universtiy, Anna (left) and Ineke will work for three months in the Trésor area.
And thus led by mrs. dr. Pita Verweij of the Copernicus Institute of our University and the undersigned (Vijko) soon two Master's students (Anna Duden and Ineke Roeling)
from Utrecht will depart for Trésor for a period of three months to provide the first research contribution to this project.
Annual meeting of the Association Trésor
And then finally the annual meeting of the Association Trésor on Friday 11 February, as usually in the evening at 6 p.m.
The way especially Jef and Ben have prepared this meeting catches our eye. An excellent Power Point presentation provides a survey of all activities which have taken place in and around our reserve over the past year. In the reserve all the information signs have now been put up explaing several parts of the botanical trail with nicely drawn pictures. Justifiedly it is proudly remarked that several nature conservation organizations should like to copy these signs to be erected in their territories. Trésor proves to be an example here as well.
A new guide for the walk along the educational trail is now available for every visitor free of charge.
A new guide for the walk along the educational trail
And of course here we should like to mention that the new hiking guide, 'Livret sur les pistes de Trésor', has been published, simple but very informative and provided with beautiful illustrations.
This guide, financially made possible by among others the WWF, the municipality of Roura, and the government, is intended for all visitors and for pupils who participate in the outdoor classes in our reserve. Finally the annual account 2009 has been approved (with praise for the excellent management of funds) and the new board of the Association chosen. Olivier Tostain is unanimously re-elected as chairman and as the new treasurer Kévin Pineau will contribute all his experience acquired with the project.
All in all a magnificent conclusion to our working week.
A lot has been accomplished in 2009
Vijko P.A. Lukkien
A review of the activities in and around the reserve by our employees in French-Guyana.
In many ways, 2009 has been a special year for the Trésor reserve.
Lots of effort has been made to round off projects that were thoroughly prepared earlier. Thus the complete information system in the shape of a large number of 'totems' has been completely finished and placed along the educational trail, the new walking guide 'Livret sur les Pistes de Trésor' has appeared in print, many guided tours were held and school programmes have been executed. All of this with the commitment of over forty volunteers!
A dynamic year
2009 has been a dynamic year for Trésor. Throughout the whole year commissions prepared the preliminary work for the final decision process within the Regional Counsil (Conseil Regional) of French-Guyana about the new legally protected status Réserve Naturelle Régionale Trésor (RNR Trésor). And as we know now, all that work has been honoured in a fantastic way by the permanent grant of this status on 12 February 2010. A complete unique event for a Dutch nature protection initiative across the borders.
The same dynamic also applies to our team of the Association Trésor on the scene.
First of all of course our forester and educational employee Charlotte Briand, who on 24 April gave birth to a beautiful daughter called Philippine. During her maternity leave her work was taken over in an excellent way by Jean- François Szpigel.
The foresters
Kévin has found a new job, but is still closely involved with Trésor as board member of the Association.
At the introduction of the new entrance building visitors admire the first exposition.
Photos Ass. Trésor
On the basis of his experience of many years with the Trésorproject, Kévin Pineau could make an important step in his career in December 2009.
Kévin's work for Trésor has first of all contributed to a considerable extent to the further professionalization of the management of the Trésor reserve. This can be especially seen in the management plan for Trésor of which not only he has done the editing, but also contributed to the content of it. While Charlotte Briand was mainly in charge with the set up of the educational programmes, Kévin knew how to set up the programmes for the inventory research of animals in the reserve with numerous scientific studies.
A first in many ways for the tropics has been the continuous ring research of occuring birds in Trésor. Kévin's list of activities could easily be made much longer. Just one thing still needs to be mentioned and that is the important role Kévin has played with the realization of the new entrance building, La Maison de la Réserve Trésor. Kévin's job has been taken over by Benoît Villette, who already introduced himself in the previous edition of Trésor News (TN30). We wish both of them the best of luck with their new jobs.
A new entrance building
It was already mentioned before, but an important event for the reserve was the official opening of the new entrance building in the presence of many guests on 7 March 2009. Not only the building has been brought into use on this date, but the guests could also become acquainted with the first exposition in the building, the placement of the first information signs and the totems along the educational trail.
This exposition, which is called 'une maison pédagogique en forêt tropicale guyanaise', has been financed by the Trésor Foundation, the Foundation Nicolas Hulot and the Conservatoire du Littoral. The themes which have been expressed, are about the following subjects: a general presentation of the Trésor reserve, the biodiversity in the reserve, characteristic seeds and fruits, the reproduction of amphibians (especially the frogs) and about a characteristic group of birds, the Manakins. Themes which will be developed in 2010 are: plants on the forest ground and their adaptations, the use of medicinal plants from the jungle and the role of tropical forests in the carbon cycle on earth and the coherent influence this has on our climate.
Totems along the educational trail
And then the totems, information panels with a height of over three meters and beautifully designed with especially for this purpose painted and drawn illustrations. The aim of these panels is to create a better understanding of the complex tropical forest with the visitors of the educational trail, including school classes.
Themes which come up with this are: what are lianas and what do they look like, what are epifytes (plants that live on the trunks and branches of trees), the ant garden, the ecology around a termite nest, the process of the rejuvenation of the forest on the place where a giant of the forest fell, how do trees anchor themselves into the ground (buttress roots and stilt roots) and numerous ecological relations as symbiosis, parasitism, cooperation and predation.
This way of information supply will be expanded in the years to come.
At the entrance as well as half way on the trail two places of shelter
[point-info.jpg, bijschrift: This simple place of shelter along the educational trail offers a great deal of possibilities to inform visitors (during a rain shower) about the Trésor reserve.
have been build for visitors, Trésor is after all part of the rain forest.
Exactly in these small 'carbets' information can be supplied during a rain shower, but also when it is dry, about those plants and animals which can be observed during the walk.
Besides that, as was mentioned before, a beautiful supporting walking guide has been made with a print of 2000 pieces, which gives much background information during the walk along the educational trail.
Lessons and excursions
The last year many visitors and schoolclasses have visited Trésor individually or during especially organised theme walks and schoolprogrammes.
Over 600 persons took part in the 34 theme walks in total and the guided tours organized by special request. Much has been done for schoolclasses among which were lessons (by our foresters) combined at the schools as well as excursions in Trésor.
The programme for schools always consists of two main parts: the preliminary lessons in class, followed by an excursion in the reserve.
Photos Ass. Trésor
Especially the schools from the community of Roura get a lot of attention with this, but also the schoolclasses from for example Kaw, Rémire-Montjoly, Cayenne and other places gladly take part in our programmes.
Hundreds of children and their teachers, together with the parents as supervisors, get acquainted with their own rain forest by these programmes and learn the beauty and the huge value of it.
In this way Trésor contributes to the awareness of our young generation and their parents of the huge importance to deal in a sensible way with this last still (partially) unaffected treasury on our earth.
Research
In 2009 a great deal of research has been done in Trésor. This research concerns very diverse plant- and animal groups and is partially of an inventory nature, partially meant to get more insight into the extent and fluctuations of occuring populations.
Through this we can more easily understand in which way especially animals use our reserve as a biotope throughout the seasons. This is of importance to get insight in the necessary size of protected areas, in which way these must be managed and the influence of possible disturbances (for example by hunting and entering).
Thus research into the botanical composition of the newly added areas (1400 ha, by the Conservatoire du Littoral) to our reserve has been done by mrs. dr. R. (Renske) Ek and colleagues. With this not only a large number of new plant species has been found, but also new and still unknown biotopes, which most definitely need further research. The results of this research you can find on our website www.tresorrainforest.org.
A second and extensive research programme has been continued with the help of many volunteers in 2009. The STOC (le Suivi Temporel des Oiseaux Communs) programme involves a periodical recurring ring research, at which we get insight in the number of occuring bird species throughout the different seasons and their brood and feeding habits. With these data an image arises about how and in which way our reserve is used by the various bird species. Related to this research also inventory research into the occuring bat species is executed, obviously during the evenings.
Benoît Vilette, as part of a Masterstudy Biology, has started a research into the population dynamic and behaviour of the Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobatus tinctorius (see his article on this in this edition of Trésor News.)
Besides that, from Israel research is done into the occuring Worms, among which are true giants. From France a research has started into the fungi of the reserve with dozens of still unknown species. And recently by means of camera traps data are obtained about the occurence of large mammals like the Tapir and Jaguar (see also our previous edition of Trésor News, TN30).
About the results of this and other not mentioned research due to the limited space here, we will keep you updated on our website and in Trésor News.
When we realize that besides all of these activities our people and volunteers, in cooperation with the French Forestry Commission, supervise to see to the compliance with the protective entrance rules of the Trésor reserve, then we can conclude with an easy conscience: 'A lot has been accomplished in 2009'.
Messages from the rainforest
Jef Szpigel en Benoît Villette
Early April the two foresters from Trésor have participated in a radio broadcast from the RFO, the most important broadcasting station of French-Guyana. This station took care of a 24 hour long broadcast from the village of Roura, where the Trésor reserve falls under. Jef and Benoît were invited to talk about Trésor, how it originated, what goes on and the importance of the reserve for the conservation of biodiversity, this as part of the 'Week of the Permanent Development', a national event in France.
Also as part of the Week of the Permanent Development the Trésor team has occupied a stand with a small exhibition at the Eco Village in Roura, set up for the occasion by the Parc Naturel Régional de Guyane. You can admire the exhibited unique photos at our website www.tresorrainforest.org.
[News Trésor2.jpg, bijschrift: Swiss journalists in the rainforest.
By special request of the Comité du Tourisme de la Guyane the Trésor team has accompanied a group of Swiss journalists to show them the various aspects and the richness of the tropical rainforest of French-Guyana.
Very cautiously Benoît handles a poisonous Lancehead snake.
photo Ass. Trésor
Education
The educational activities have been continued in the reserve and in particular on the botanical trail. During an excursion with a group of children from Cayenne we were lucky to see a beautiful young Bothrops atrox, the renowned Common Lancehead on the trail. This snake is almost as poisonous as the Rattle Snake, which also occurs a lot in French-Guyana.
We have carefully removed it from the trail, while the children observed with interest, but also a bit frightened. It showed not a single sign to attack us. We make an effort to show the biodiversity of the reserve, but we also see it as our duty to take away the excessive fear of and prejudice against certain occupants of the forest. Such an encounter always makes an impression and the children kept telling us with pride about the snake they had seen during their excursion in Trésor.
A new employee arrives
By the signing of the Statutes of the Regional Reserve Trésor and thanks to the linked finance by the Regional Counsil of French-Guyana, we will get another full-time job position soon. After a selection procedure of a couple of months the new employee must be able to join us before July next. This is a very good development for the reserve, as a result of which our activities can intensify.
The poison-dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius) of nature reserve Trésor
Benoît Villette
Dendrobates tinctorius is undoubtedly one of the jewels from the tropical forest of French Guiana. It belongs to the Dendrobatidae family (superfamily: Dendrobatoidea) which lives in South America, from Nicaragua to Bolivia and all through the south of Brazil.
Dendrobates tinctorius is an endemic species from the eastern part of the Guiana plateau (Guiana, Suriname, French Guiana and neighbouring parts of Brazil). There it occurs predominantly in the wooded highlands and avoids the open lowlands.
For an amphibian it is rather small (3.5 to 5 cm.) but nevertheless one of the largest representatives of its family.
Most dendrobatids are diurnal, living mostly on the forest floor, are solitary and spend most of their time searching for tiny prey teeming in the foliage and the low cover of the forest. They are territorial animals that are not fond of the presence of its own species especially if it is of the same gender. For such a tiny animal it can engage in astonishingly fierce fights, if necessary.
Reproduction of the members of the superfamily of Dendrobatoidea is both remarkable and intricate. Just like the majority of Dendrobatoidea Dendrobates tinctorius lays its eggs in a sheltered space on the humid forest floor after a complicated mating behaviour. The couple engages itself in a series of pursuits adorned by the sound of the male - a soft 'buzzzz' that is hardly audible among all the sounds of the forest - and the obtrusive caresses of the female that exposes herself to him. There is a limited number of eggs, usually less than ten. During the days preceding the hatching of the larvae, the male guards protects and cleans its precious spawn.
But caring doesn't end after the incubation period. After hatching, the tadpoles free themselves form the jellylike cover and one by one or in pairs they climb on the male's back who then takes them to small pools of water that contain no more than some tens of centilitres of water.
They are usually separately deposited in these small, natural swimming pools. It is these limitations of their habitats ( little water, little food) that makes the tadpoles so opportunistic as far as their diet is concerned. They graze algae, consume meat, or become predators or even cannibals, whichever appears to be convenient.
The metamorphosis is complete after a stay of some two months in the water. The tadpole has now become a replica of its parents, ready to live its life as a poison-dart frog in the Guyanese forest.
Colour and poison
Poison-dart frogs are especially known for their bright colours, a phenotypical indication for the predator that would like to consume them that they are poisonous. This phenomenon that frequently occurs in this family but also in other faunal groups, is called aposematic colouring, a warning for enemies that the animal is dangerous. To put it simpler: " I'm toxic, you can tell from my bright colours, don't try to eat me!" The toxins excreted by the skin are alkaloids. Morphine and strychnine or curare (a mixture of several alkaloids) are the most well-known members of this important group of small molecules. Although some alkaloids that can be found with the Dendrobatids are very powerful, the 'danger' of most species is often strongly exaggerated. Actually, a real risk of poisoning only occurs with a few species of the Phyllobates genus that occur in Colombia. Batrachotoxin, the most important alkaloid excreted by these species, is one of the most poisonous substances found in nature.
The origin of the poison-dart frogs' alkaloids is exogenous, which means that they do not produce the poison themselves, but get it from certain poisonous prey animals. The poisonous nutrients are absorbed, stored and converted in the frog's body.
When you hold a Dendrobates tinctorius in your hands you usually feel only a slight irritation resembling a cut on your hand. But as usually with poison, you have to remain cautious because not everyone reacts in the same way when exposed to such substances.
Etymology
Dendrobates means 'tree climber', 'dendro' being the Greek word for tree and 'bates' meaning: he who walks or runs. Poison-dart frogs probably owe this name to the fact that especially the males can be seen climbing up tree trunks in search of water for their tadpoles.
Tinctorius is connected with colour, to colour something differently. The name stems from an old custom of the local Indians to rub the frog on the skin of a plucked parrot to grow feathers of different colours. This custom is out of use and it is difficult to say whether the desired result was achieved as the skin of the poison-dart frogs is so rich in toxic substances that the poor bird wouldn't have benefited from this ritual.
A wide range of colours
Another characteristic of the family of poison-dart frogs is the enormous variation in colours that can be seen within certain species. A strong polymorphism is observed dependent on the habitat of the population. This phenomenon is most conspicuous among Dendrobates tinctorius. Here are a few examples of animals found in several regions of French Guiana, the last one not being from French Guiana but from Suriname.
In the nature reserve Trésor
This species is found in the higher area of the reserve. It is often seen on the educational trail.
In May, June and July 2009, the team of the reserve performed a monitoring research to find out more about the ecology of this tiny multi-coloured amphibian of which, up till now, little is known. The protocol was simple: all individuals we encountered on the trail or on the paths of the STOC were identified. Each poison-dart frog could be distinguished because of the enormous variation in patterns, and a clear sexual dimorphism made it possible to determine the gender of the adult specimens. On each encounter new individuals were photographed and GPS co-ordinates determined. Recapturings revealed something of the animals' move, their activities (mainly in connection with the reproduction), their numbers, etc.
This resulted in a lot of information. Dendrobates tinctorius are animals that do not move around a lot. Especially the females stay within their territory of a few square metres. In the neighbourhood of the educational trail are three locations that seem of importance for the reproduction of the species: an old row of pot traps filled with water and two trees of the genus Sloanea, whose buttress roots and trunk form many small cavities that are ideal places to deposit tadpoles.
If we concentrate on these three locations we can state that the males are faithful to their 'nurseries'. The individuals observed to take their larvae to the pot traps were never spotted on the Slonea on a distance of barely thirty metres and vice versa.
Other members of the super family of Dendrobatoidea in French Guiana
In French Guiana seven species have been described five of which can be found in the regional nature reserve Trésor.
Amazon poison-dart frog (Ranitomea ventrimaculata)
This tiny species (less than 2 cm.) is as brightly coloured as its big cousin Dendrobates tinctorius. It is dependent on phytotelmata (water habitats in vegetable surroundings) particularly plants of the family of bromeliads where it lives in and reproduces by using the water stored in the leaf axils to deposit the tadpoles.
Can be found in the Trésor reserve.
Ameerega hahneli
This small amphibian is less brightly coloured than the Dendrobates but bright yellow on the joints of the leg and it has a nice bluish belly. It is a species from the Amazon region and occurs in a vast area. It is not very conspicuous. You usually notice it when it croaks.
Cannot be found in the reserve.
Allobates femoralis
This average-sized species is easily recognizable with its brown back and orange yellow spots on arm-pits and sides. It can be found everywhere in the forests of French Guiana where its characteristic sound of twice a double whistle is one of the basic sounds of the forest.
Can be found in the reserve.
Allobates granti
It used to be mixed up with Colestethus beebei from French Guiana and has only recently been described as a complete new species. It has been located further inland and there seem to be two closely related species with this name in French Guiana.
Cannot be found in the reserve.
Anomaloglossus degranvillei
This small member of the superfamily of Dendrobatoidea is unique. It lives alongside rocky creeks in the forest. The tadpoles do not eat and stay on their father's back until their metamorphosis to frog is completed. Like before, there are at least two almost identical species with the same name.
Can be found in the reserve.
Anomaloglossus baeobatrachus
Another small species whose tadpoles develop without eating, just like the previous ones. They remain in the nest where the mother laid the eggs. It is a way of become independent of a watery environment.
Can be found in the reserve.
Photos Benoît Villette
Biohorma, Friend of Trésor
Aart de Lang
Aart de Lang (left) and Wim Schuurman are signing the agreement.
photo Biohorma
On Tuesday, 16 March 2010 the sponsor agreement was signed between Trésor Foundation and Biohorma Ltd., producer and supplier of the well-known A.Vogel medicinal preparations. For Biohorma it was Wim Schuurman, the director general, who signed and for Trésor Foundation it was board member Aart de Lang.
The agreement is valid for five years. During that period Biohorma Ltd., as Friend of Trésor , will launch its extensive means of communication to increase the Foundation's reputation and to increase its number of donors.
We are of course extremely happy that Biohorma, one of our Founding fathers, will once again devote itself with great zest to our goals, this time as Friend of Trésor.
Trésor: source of inspiration for a school project
The Trésor Foundation provided material on the theme 'The tropical rain forest' for the public school 'De Peppel' in Beuningen
Over a period from February 24 until April 9 2010 all three groups 5/6 of the public school 'De Peppel' in Beuningen have worked intensively on the theme 'The tropical rain forest'. This theme was introduced by the teachers of theses classe performing the play 'Stop felling trees!' This provided the inspiration to sit in small groups in the classroom afterwards making word fields with the words the children associated with this subject. Then every child thought up some learning questions by itself: questions to which they wanted to find the answers during this theme period.
Based on these formulated questions the teachers put together working groups. The following weeks these groups embarked on a well-motivated exploration. Thus for example they wanted to find out more about (specific) animals living in the tropical rain forest, fruit, plants, inhabitants, climate, dangers, produce etc. To find the answers they used the Internet and a large number of books.
Each group incorporated the learning questions into a presentation for their classmates. For this various forms had been chosen: Powerpoint presentations, lectures, a play, etc. This offered an entertaining result. In the assembly hall the children were given a make-up workshop and in the following week after making their own designs did their own make-up helped by students of an art college.
Also a grandfather of one of the children gave a lecture with photographs about the Amazon rain forest which he had recently visited.
To give the classroom a rain forest atmosphere the children brought all kinds of paraphernalia from home (stuffed toys, topees, books etc.). Also the children built a miniature rain forest in a shoe box. There were several other additional assignments too. For instance children could invent a recipe by themselves using ingredients from the rain forest.
During level reading the book corner was used with great enthusiasm. In all it has been an instructive and energetic period! Several photographs have been attached to this article. But on our website www.peppelnet.nl even more nice pictures of this theme may be viewed!
