Educational Programme at Pınarlıbelen Village, 11 April 2008

An educational programme was carried out at Pınarlıbelen village in Muğla with 127 children in classes 4, 5, 6, and 7 at Nilgün-Dr. Kerim Cangır Elementary School. The children participated eagerly in the interactive presentation on the subject of diversity of fruit varieties in the locality, and a discussion in the school playground about the trees growing there and whether they were native to the area. The children were given forms on which to record information obtained from their grandparents and parents about traditional heritage fruits. When the forms were collected it was found that the children had recorded the names of 146 varieties of 29 wild and cultivated fruit species. Varieties not yet recorded on our database will be investigated. The programme aimed to bridge the generation gap as well as arousing the children’s awareness of their local heritage and making contact with local people who can provide information about heritage fruits.