Achievements (EN): Project results:
Being a part of biodiversity hotspot in Europe, the target transboundary Carpathian mountain areas, Maramures county in Romania and Ivano-Frankivsk oblast in Ukraine, are economically trailing with most of the population dependent on employment from logging sensitive forest resources. Both regions acknowledge their rich biodiversity but suffer from unsustainable forest practices. Nature preservation efforts are viewed as limiting local economic activities. Youth as future nature safeguards do not see perspectives and migrate. There is a need to increase community support for conservation activities, understanding of biodiversity value and sustainable forest economy.
The Project overall objective is to support the nature preservation practices in the Carpathian cross-border area by enhancing conservation education in the cross-border communities. The project has piloted two Carpathian Forest Schools by introducing interactive and outdoor learning components into the extracurricular education of schoolchildren. The information campaign was also held within the project framework for residents of Ivano-Frankivsk region in Ukraine and the Maramures county in Romania.
In particular, the Project has launched the Forest School at Maramures Mountains Nature Park (Romania) and extended the opportunities for the activities of Vyhoda Forest School (Ukraine). These Schools will interpret local nature, ecological culture and sustainable forest use in a modern and interesting way for schoolchildren, encouraging them to be responsible for the environment.
In the project frame, the appropriate infrastructure and tools are developed to educate children and youth, who in the nearest future will make thoughtful decisions related to environment with comprehensive understanding how this environment works. In Vyhoda territorial community the Ukrainian project partners have created an innovative outdoor education area for the study of forest wildlife next to the hydrological natural area of the Shirkovets Wetland. The area is equipped with wooden broadwalks and wildlife observation towers, which allow the visitors to approach the natural attraction closer, and at the same time safely. There are also 15 panels installed that interpret the local nature. The content of the panels appeals to the personal experiences and values of visitors, rather than simply introducing local natural features.
The elements of natural heritage interpretation applied in the project increase environmental awareness of the local population and visitors on the fragility of forest ecosystems and their role in sustainable development. So, among the topics of the suggested panels are, for example, the importance of the swamp in overcoming climate change, its antiseptic and tanning properties, or the structure and biodiversity of the forests adjacent to the swamp.
Near the Vyhoda Narrow Gauge Railway Centre, an interactive wilderness pavilion with a reproduction of the elements of the forest ecosystem with a special exposition imitating the underground world of the Carpathian forests was constructed. Every visitor to the pavilion will be able to feel like an insect or an invertebrate, as if finding themselves in the place of these creatures that are extremely dependent on human influence.
The NFA ROMSILVA – Administration of Maramures Mountains Nature Park, in turn, bought a car that became ad on wheels for an information campaign on preserving the biodiversity of Maramures Mountains. In addition, partners installed a projector for interactive games in the classroom of the Forest School in Maramures.
The Vyhoda Village Council and the Maramures Mountain Park furnished and equipped the spacious classrooms with modern equipment for the Forest Schools lessons, which will kindly open their doors to teachers and schoolchildren of the target regions from the new academic year.
Cross-border partners purchased some equipment for outdoor lessons and for wildlife observation on the territory of the Vygoda community and Maramures Mountain Nature Park, such as professional video cameras, binoculars, telescopes, drones, and tourist equipment. The Ukrainian project team created an animation video about global environmental problems, which can be understood by studying the ecosystems of the Vygoda forests. The Maramures Mountain Park, in turn, created an interpretive film about the sustainable use of the Carpathian forests “Heritage”. Each of the video products contributes to awareness raising among children and youth in the target regions of the project on biodiversity role and importance.
Expert teams supported by the project – environmental education groups – which included representatives of environmental institutions and educators, developed educational materials for the Carpathian forest schools lessons. In the course of the project, three meetings of such groups were held in the target regions. Expert educational groups agreed on common principles, methodology and approaches to the development of Carpathian Forest Schools agendas for the two countries, helped in developing the content of the lessons and piloted these lessons. In each of the target regions, 10 presentations of pilot lessons were held for about 540 participants. The developed lessons were included in the manuals for teachers and two types of notebooks for students aged between 6-11 and 12-17 years. In Ukraine, 14 lessons were developed that covered 45 topics in natural science, biology and geography. Experts of the Maramures Mountain Park suggested 12 topics of their own. The subject of the lessons is universal and significantly develops and complements the narratives of school textbooks. Each of the lessons involves a practical study of living nature.
From June 30 to July 3, 2021, a cross-border forest tent camp for future educators and interpreters of nature from both countries, students of natural sciences, was held on the territory of the Maramures Mountain Nature Park. The camp programme included valuable experience in preparing for forest hikes, learning methods for identifying plant and tree species in a specific area, using instruments and equipment for measuring and sampling, workshops and debates with experienced experts in the field of forestry, creating video materials about forest adventures in camping, etc.
On July 28, 2022, the final project event take place – the international conference “Forum of Innovations in Environmental Education and Biodiversity”. The event held online, and its initiator and organizer is the project’s Lead beneficiary. The conference’s purpose is to bring together experts working in the field of environmental education, nature conservation, green business, traditional agriculture, student, youth, representatives of local authorities, mass media of target regions in order to share experience gained during the project implementation, best practices of biodiversity conservation and the experience of European experts in the environmental behavior change, as well as to invite organizations to the network to create a synergy effect in the promotion of project ideas. The conference participants will have the opportunity to get the experience of the military conflicts impact on biodiversity and to develop ideas about the possibilities of environmental education in the conditions of wars and pandemics.
During the conference, the results of the baseline and final sociological surveys on informal environmental education and the competence of the population on environmental issues, conducted within the project at its initial and final stages, presented. At the beginning of the project (in the first phase of the survey), 859 respondents from the mountain communities, as well as educators, representatives of nature preservation institutions and entrepreneurs were interviewed. At the project end, 837 residents and representatives of the mentioned target groups were interviewed repeatedly. The surveys allowed finding out the level of understanding by the communities’ residents the biodiversity value, problems and needs related to the indicated sphere, and other important factors affecting nature conservation in the target regions.
Based on the results of baseline sociological survey, the partners launched a campaign to raise the awareness of the citizens of the target regions on biodiversity conservation issue. In Ukraine, with the hashtag #CarapthianForestSchool, a competition of ideas / youth initiatives “For me biodiversity is…” was held, nine of which were supported by the Project. In addition, seven more environmental actions were held with the mentioned hashtag: biopicnics, workshops, environmental lessons, summer camps, street actions, a number of flash mob publications were prepared and distributed. Each of the initiatives was aimed at encouraging the perception of biodiversity as a personal value that people should be interested in maintaining and developing. The 759 participants took part in the information campaign in Ukraine, and the outreach of posts in social networks exceeded 42 thousand people.
A final sociological survey in Romania demonstrated positive trends – more than 52% of the residents of the Maramures mountainous regions perceive biodiversity as a matter of pride. 80% more respondents than at the initial stage of the survey noted that there are opportunities to preserve the unique nature of the Carpathians in their area. Also, most of the interviewed Romanian respondents are ready to support financially educational events.
According to the results of a final survey conducted in Ukraine, the majority of residents still remain aloof from public environmental initiatives – approximately every fifth respondent is involved in them. Along with this, the share of respondents who see biodiversity as economic benefits has increased, but the number of those who see it as a favorable environment for education and upbringing remains small. Also, Ukrainian respondents began to trust the media and authorities in environmental issues less, but they listen to the opinions of their neighbors and relatives. Obviously, this is related to the full-scale military invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, a change in values and attitudes regarding personal safety and a safe environment, and a tendency to monitor news mainly about the war. Also, in the last six months, the vector of charity and patronage has changed significantly in the country, not in favor of educational programmes – they mainly concern direct support of the Armed Forces. Therefore, in order to harmonize the perception of environmental education by the population of Ukraine, it remains to wait for better times, while, of course, making maximum efforts for Ukraine’s victory over the aggressor state.
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