Environmental Education Through Biofertilization of Native Plants for Sustainable Development in Peruvian Biosphere Reserves

Environmental degradation in biosphere-reserve territories requires educational strategies that connect sustainability learning with practical ecological actions. This study evaluated an experiential environmental education intervention integrated with biofertilizer-based native plant cultivation in two Peruvian Amazonian localities, Chanchamayo and Satipo. Secondary-school students (n = 46) participated in workshops on soil degradation, sustainable land management, native species restoration, and the preparation of bocashi and vermicompost. Environmental cognition was assessed using a 15-item instrument covering ethical, critical, and political dimensions. In parallel, plant elongation and foliar growth were evaluated in five native species: Jacaranda copaia, Cedrela odorata, Tabebuia serratifolia, Banisteriopsis caapi, and Piper aduncum. The intervention was associated with statistically significant improvements in environmental cognition across all dimensions (p < 0.001; Cohen’s d > 1.0), with the strongest gain in the critical dimension. Biofertilization responses were species- and locality-dependent. Given the single-group pre–post design, these changes represent associations with the intervention rather than definitive causal effects. The highest elongation response occurred in Cedrela odorata in Satipo under vermicompost, whereas the highest foliar-growth response was observed in Jacaranda copaia under vermicompost in Satipo. These findings support an integrated educational–ecological model linking environmental learning, organic residue valorization, and native plant propagation.