ABSTRACT
Unless conservation education is rooted within a local system of knowledge and meaning that supports and justifies it, conservation practices will not be maintained because there will be no cultural ballast keeping conservation efforts steady in the face of changing circumstances. Jump with Whales is a conservation education programme in the eastern Caribbean designed to teach children about the basic biology of whales and dolphins, and the conservation considerations necessary for healthy populations to exist. Funded in 1994 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Jump with Whales is tailored to the social, cultural and economic context of the eastern Caribbean. The educational materials incorporate my research and knowledge of whales and dolphins in the region (and that of other researchers in the field) with local knowledge about whales. The first objective was to develop interpretive materials that engage learners by using a vernacular context to create an ‘at home’ sense of ownership about whales and dolphins and the places they inhabit. To date, three children’s books have been published.
