Wilderness Education Week in Ukraine
In April, the European Wilderness Society held a Wilderness education week in the Ukraine. Beside Earth Day, celebrated on 22nd of April, there are also other important dates!
In 2019 we also celebrate:
- 55 years of Wilderness Act in USA
- 10th Anniversary of Wilderness in Europe
- 5 years of European Wilderness Network
As it is stated in the Wilderness/Prague Conference Resolution 2009, there is a need in increasing public awareness and respect to Wilderness in Europe.
Please also read: 2019 -Year of Wilderness
Wilderness for Window on America
On 10th of April, the European Wilderness Society conducted a training for English-speaking teens club. We were happy to take this invitation of our friends from ‘Window on America Center’ in Uzhhorod. And it was great to hear that youngsters are not imagining their future without nature and its rivers, forests, animals and plants! Besides, they were interested to learn more about protected areas around them. And of course, about the European Wilderness Network as well as Wilderness in the USA, Europe and Ukraine.
Moreover, we invited these youngsters to participate in the Youth Green Conference 2019. There they will meet their coevals from Austria as well as decision-makers from Austria and Ukraine. And they will jointly plan the Green Future of Europe.
Wilderness roadshow at school 5
With strong support for environmental education by the director of Uzhhorod school 5 and good cooperation with the European Wilderness Society, it was possible to organise a week-long Wilderness roadshow at this school. As a result, more than a thousand school students could learn about large carnivores and their habitat in Europe. And information on how to behave when encountering carnivores and about effective protective measures were also presented. In addition, this gave the possibility for teachers of different subjects to conduct their lessons in an innovative and more interactive way.
Integrated lessons
During this week, the European Wilderness Society also conducted workshops for senior school students. For these students we did integrated lessons on English, Geography, Zoology and Wilderness. In an interactive way, the students learnt about European Wilderness Network, its inhabitants and how to live in harmony with them. Now, youngsters are ready to visit protected areas and encounter their wildlife as well as to reduce own ecological footprint.
In the other class we discussed with school graduates whether Wilderness has a connection to their future profession. As a conclusion, the group found that many modern professions require basic environmental, Wilderness and sustainable development knowledge.
Integrated lessons and environmental education – this is what we need in modern Ukrainian school
European Wilderness Network photo exhibition
This week, the European Wilderness Society also promoted the 5th Anniversary of the European Wilderness Network at the Transcarpathian Regional Scientific Library in Uzhhorod. With large format and high quality photos of European WILDForests, WILDCoasts, WILDRivers and WILDIslands, we brought Europe’s last Wilderness closer to library visitors and made them think why it is important to protect Wilderness.
Living library
On 18th of March, the European Wilderness Society also became a living book at the “Living library”. It was so exiting to present every 10 minutes to a new audience the activities of the European Wilderness Society, European Wilderness Network and our publications. We called the audience to become Wilderness Advocates and visit Wilderness, to get new power and inspiration.
Of course on every event we promoted European Youth Green Conference 2019! And we also invited youngsters to participate in it!
The European Wilderness Society is continuously contributing to Environment, Wilderness and Sustainable Development Education in different European countries. And very often it is possible to support our Wilderness Advocates! In fact, things go so well, that we are almost running out of our very popular Educational Journal Wild 5. Therefore, we are calling you to donate for its new publication and distribution. This would help us to reach even more youngsters in Ukraine and promote Wilderness amongst the next generations!
