An activity organized at the institution’s library encourages students to reflect on nature conservation and to share their feelings and commitments toward the environment.
More than just a reminder of the importance of trees, Arbor Day can be an opportunity to discuss care, responsibility, and the world we want to leave for future generations. It is from this perspective that an educational activity aims to transform a simple tree into a space for expression and reflection among children, teenagers, and adults.
Celebrated on September 21, the date kicked off a series of activities at the Ramacrisna Institute in Betim. The activities will take place throughout the week and promise to spark reflection among students and staff. Among the activities is the “Tree of Happiness,” created by students in the library and which will now circulate through the Institute’s various departments, involving students and staff in its collective creation. Each participant can add words, messages, and wishes for the future of the environment.
The idea is simple: using paint and creativity, they built a collective tree with their own hands as part of the branches and wrote down words that represent what makes their hearts bloom—such as love, family, friendship, nature, peace, and dreams.
For librarian Diná Alves, turning the theme into a hands-on experience helps bring students closer to issues that are part of their daily lives. “When students participate in the creation, they stop being mere spectators. We’re able to address the importance of nature in a playful way, while also fostering values such as care, responsibility, and respect, showing that small actions can contribute to bigger changes,” she explains.
As part of the activity, students will also be invited to choose one action they can take to help care for nature, such as conserving water, avoiding paper waste, caring for plants, or not littering.
Environmental Education in Practice
The institution’s environmental awareness initiatives extend beyond commemorative dates. The Institute maintains approximately four hectares of preserved Cerrado forest and an ecological trail, which allow students to connect with nature and contribute to learning experiences outside the classroom.
The initiative also aligns with ESG commitments—particularly in the environmental and social dimensions—and with the Institute’s role as a signatory, since 2024, to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, which brings together principles related to human rights, labor, the environment, and the fight against corruption. In practice, these commitments are linked to environmental education and awareness initiatives carried out as part of the institution’s daily operations, which are also supported by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among them are SDG 4, which addresses quality education; SDG 12, focused on responsible consumption and production; SDG 13, which encourages actions to combat climate change; and SDG 15, dedicated to the protection of life on land and ecosystems.
