By: Tenno Maulana Hendra (Volunteer Panda Mobile)

Water is an essential component in life. Early introduction to water conservation is necessary to reduce environmentally unfriendly lifestyles, especially in managing water. According to WWF data, freshwater consumed by humans and animals decreased by 76% from 1970-2010 and Java Island is one of the islands experiencing a water deficit. So the importance of water conservation is a top priority that must be considered in everyday life.

That is what the Panda Mobile team did in Mekarsari Village, Jambe District, Tangerang, Banten on Monday (15/08). After traveling for two hours, we arrived at Mekarsari Elementary School. The Panda Mobile event this time is in collaboration with UIN Jakarta students who are doing field work in Mekarsari Village.

Arriving at the location, we immediately prepared the tools and materials that we would use to educate the importance of sustainable water for human life. Some of them are water laboratory equipment in the form of microscopes. The function of the tool is to see very small or micro-sized living things that live in water. In this activity, we also shared stories about the water cycle, planting with water media or what is known as hydroponic plants, animal stories, watching movies about the importance of the role of water in life, and games about animals.

The activity began with Kak Ryan's storytelling about endangered animals whose survival is increasingly critical. He used tiger and orangutan characters to convey his message. Furthermore, the children were divided into five groups, each of which would walk to the five posts that had been divided based on the material that had been prepared.

The first post is the Water Laboratory Post which shows various living things that are so small that they need to use a microscope to see them. Through this activity, students learned that there are many living things contained in water that can endanger health if the water source is polluted. Water pollution is a major factor that causes the development of "bad" bacteria that can harm human health.

The second post is the Water Cycle & Origin post. Using pictures, the Panda Mobile team talked about the importance of maintaining the habitat of umbrella species that are the focus of WWF conservation, one of which is the tiger. Tigers are declared an umbrella species because they have a very large home range, so if we protect the existence of tigers, we also protect 20 km2 of forest area. At the Film Post, the students watched a movie and were taught about the important role of water in human life on Earth and the importance of preserving the area around water sources to meet the needs of clean water in the upstream to downstream areas.

In the fourth post, the students were invited to grow plants with water media, or what is known as the hydroponic method. In this post, they were introduced to the fact that besides soil, water can also function as a medium for growing plants. In the last post, they played cricket as a medium to recognize animals. Game tools are very important in introducing animals to children at an early age because children love to play. Visualization in the form of pictures can make it easier to explain to them.