Polytechnic College Suriname

The Geoscience Education Field Officers (GEFO) programme is an educational initiative established under the Education Committee of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) to strengthen and promote geoscience teaching at primary and secondary school levels across Europe and beyond. Launched in 2019, the GEFO programme was conceived in response to a recognised need for improved professional development for teachers of geoscience-related subjects, many of whom have limited academic training in Earth sciences despite curriculum requirements to teach such content.At its core, the initiative appoints and trains experienced in-service and retired teachers, as well as researchers, to act as GEFO within their respective countries. These officers are responsible for developing and delivering interactive, hands-on workshop sessions designed to support the teaching of key geoscience topics embedded in national curricula. The workshops emphasise practical activities that can be implemented in school classrooms or laboratories, making use of cost-effective materials and internationally recognised educational resources, such as the Earth Learning Idea repository (https://www.earthlearningidea.com/), and the EduMed Observatory (https://edumed.unice.fr/).The programme began in April 2019 with the appointment of six GEFO from France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, India and Morocco, supported by the EGU and partner organisations including the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO). These individuals were selected for their expertise in geoscience education and received initial training to prepare them for their roles.This initial phase proved successful, with 21 workshops delivered across the six founding countries during the first year of activity. In 2022, building on this foundation, the programme was significantly expanded to include additional officers in a broader range of European countries, managed by the EGU, while participation in non-European contexts was extended and coordinated by IUGS-COGE. This expansion strengthened the reach and impact of the GEFO programme, fostering a growing network of education advocates who share best practices and contribute to a common vision for geoscience education.Beyond workshop delivery, EGU GEFO members also contribute to teacher conferences and webinars, sharing insights into teachers’ perceptions and needs and actively promoting geoscience literacy worldwide. Currently, the EGU GEFO programme is represented in eleven European countries and continues to grow. Further expansion is planned for 2026, with three additional countries expected to join, alongside efforts to consolidate the international network and align activities with broader educational frameworks and international objectives, such as the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Overall, the GEFO programme represents a sustained and adaptive effort to support teachers, enrich geoscience education and ensure that learners have access to high-quality instruction in Earth sciences, thereby contributing to informed global citizenship in the face of contemporary environmental challenges.

Abstract Limosa fedoa, the Marbled Godwit, is a large shorebird that breeds in the grasslands of the northern United States and southern Canada, and winters along the coast of the United States, Mexico, and Central America, occasionally reaching the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America. During fieldwork along the coasts of Suriname, French Guiana, and Guyana in 2023–2025, small numbers of the species were observed, representing the first records for the three Guianas. These records expand geographical knowledge of the distribution of the species on the north coast of South America. Keywords French Guiana, Guyana, Limosa fedoa, Marbled Godwit, Suriname, Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Resumen Primeras observaciones de Limosa fedoa (Aguja Canela) en Surinam, Guayana Francesa y Guyana • Limosa fedoa, conocida como Aguja Canela, es una ave playera de gran tamaño que se reproduce en los praderas del norte de los Estados Unidos y el sur de Canadá e inverna a lo largo de la costa de los Estados Unidos, México y América Central; alcanzando ocasionalmente las costas del Pacífico y del Atlántico de América del Sur. Durante trabajos de campo a lo largo de la costa de Surinam, Guayana Francesa y Guyana en 2023–2025, se observaron pequeños grupos de esta especie, lo que representa los primeros registros para las tres Guayanas. Estos registros amplían el conocimiento geográfico de la distribución de la especie en la costa norte de América del Sur. Palabras clave Avoceta Parda, Guyana, Guyana Francesa, Limosa fedoa, Res Hemisférica de Reservas para Aves Playeras, Suriname Résumé Premières observations de Limosa fedoa (Barge marbrée) au Suriname, en Guyane française et au Guyana • Limosa fedoa, la Barge marbrée, est un grand limicole qui se reproduit dans les prairies du nord des États-Unis d’Amérique et du sud du Canada, et qui hiverne le long des côtes des États-Unis, du Mexique et de l’Amérique centrale, atteignant parfois les côtes du Pacifique et de l’Atlantique de l’Amérique du Sud. Lors de travaux de terrain le long des côtes du Suriname, de la Guyane française et du Guyana en 2023–2025, l’espèce a été observée en petits nombres, ce qui représente les premières mentions pour les trois Guyanes. Ces signalements élargissent la connaissance géographique de la répartition de l’espèce sur les côtes nord de l’Amérique du Sud. Mots clés Barge marbrée, Guyana, Guyane française, Limosa fedoa, Réseau de réserves d'oiseaux de rivage de l'hémisphère occidental, Suriname

Summary The provided materials address the remote identification and monitoring of land structure utilizing GIS technologies. They highlight the application of the OBIA method, a prominent plugin in QGIS, particularly valuable for land management on agricultural and forestry lands, among other domains. Through the course of this work, optimal parameters for classifying and segmenting spatial images within the study area were determined. The findings reveal that within the Dmytriv territorial community, the majority of the land (138.9 km2) is attributed to urban areas (35.1%), followed by agricultural land (33.3%), forests (29.5%), and water bodies (2.1%). The classification process achieved an accuracy rate of 77.8%. Utilizing the OBIA plugin in conjunction with the SCP controlled classification method significantly streamlines and enhances land structure monitoring procedures.