Regional Education Programme: School Networks in Protected Areas (Project PA4NP)
The Community Involvement Assessment in Protected Areas conducted by WWF Adria and the Parks Dinarides network during 2017, showed that education programmes in protected areas are essential instruments for raising support for and contributing to the management of protected areas. Accordingly, WWF Adria and the Parks Dinarides network have launched the regional educational programme "School Networks in Protected Areas", within the framework of the "Protected Areas for Nature and People" project. The project includes six - protected areas from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, which are members of the Park Dinarides network.
Protected Areas included in project are:
- Protected Areas in Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Lovćen National park, Montenegro
- Skadarsko Lake National Park, Montenegro
- Obedska Bara Special Nature Reserve, Serbia
- StaraPplanina Nature Park, Serbia
The School Networks in Protected Areas project includes the following activities:
- Trainings for education staff from six protected areas and two teachers from six local schools. Topics covered during trainings are: experiential learning, nature sensibilization, active citizenship, development of ideas for education programmes in protected areas, and promotion and evaluation of education programmes. In addition to these topics, training will also include lectures from experienced staff from several regional protected areas that have conducted educational programmes with diverse target groups for many years.
Three trainings will be conducted at:
- Obedska Bara Special Nature Reserve in Serbia, May 2018,
- Škocjan Caves Park in Slovenia, September 2018,
- Bijambare Protected Area in Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 2018.
- Establishing and/or improving School Network in six protected areas.
- Development and promotion of educational programmes for schools.
- Development of guidelines for protected areas on how to establish a school network based on the experiences of protected areas included into project.
The aim of the project is to strengthen cooperation between local schools and protected areas through including teachers in the creation and promotion of educational programmes in protected areas, which will contribute to a better understanding of the importance of nature protection among young people and enable their active participation in this field over time. Schools and teachers will play a central role in achieving our goal that protected areas are recognized as valuable educational centers.
The project will run until June 2019.