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The
Learning About Forests programme is an educational programme
about forests and all the diverse human activities taking place
inside and around forests. The aim is to support school children
and teachers with learning about and in forests, using the
forests as a special setting for outdoor learning.
The programme aims to respond to the following issues:
A
need for easily accessible teaching materials on forest education
While teaching materials are often most appropriate if developed
nationally according to a country's specific needs, it can also
be useful to draw on internationally assembled materials. The
programme aims to assemble materials around various project
themes (see Themes). On this
website you will find links to forest materials (see
E-library) and forest activities
(see Activities).
A
lack of knowledge regarding forest and forestry related issues
Around one in three young Europeans wrongly believe that the forests
of Europe are disappearing. This misunderstanding hampers the
possibilities to establish an environmentally sustainable Europe. An
increased use of renewable forest-products can, for example, ease
the pressure on our common environment if these are substituted for
non-renewable products. The Learning About Forests
programme works towards the goal of raising general
awareness of forests and forestry related issues.
The
twin urges of urbanisation and 'computerisation'
The
trend towards urbanisation has concentrated the majority of the
world's population in cities. This, combined with the revolution in
IT-technology, has the effect of alienating youngsters from nature,
as more time is spent in front of computers. By supporting the
innovative use of the Internet, the Learning About Forests programme
aims to encourage pupils and teachers to go outdoors and use forests
for learning.
PROGRAMME
PHILOSOPHY
The
programme rests on three fundamental ideas:
1. All educational activities should be adapted to the local
needs of teachers and their students. Experience from
existing programmes clearly demonstrates two lessons: if activities
are not attractive and suitable for teachers, then they will never
be used by the students, and secondly, students are often better able to
learn through their own hands-on activities.
2. The programme will work with an understanding of the many functions
forests fulfil for people: cultural, ecological, economic and
social. It is crucial to explore the balance between the different
uses of forests, in order to begin to understand the complexity of
human interaction with forests.
3. Forests can be a renewable resource, which can be used
sustainably by humans. It is important for pupils to know about
issues on forests, forestry, forest-based products and
recycling.
The
programme aims to help students reach a higher degree of
environmental maturity. (See Diagram 1)
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Be
responsible for the future
Make
decisions on environmental issues
Understand
the interplay of humans and nature
Understand
the ecological web
Experience and observe nature
Learn to enjoy the outdoors
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Diagram
1. Pedagogic stairs describing the development of students'
environmental maturity
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