Be a knowledge receiver on a free-flowing river"- a good practice example in the field of nature protection education in the Five-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube

Abstract

Within the “LifelineMDD” project, co-financed by the EU through the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme, in the WP3 package, coordinated by WWF Adria-Serbia, an educational program is being developed to impart knowledge and skills to members of the local community on the importance of nature conservation and ecological connectivity in the Five-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube. The program was based on knowledge from research and scientific studies on biotic indicator species of birds and fish, abiotic factors of sediment transport and climate change, cooperation of various stakeholders and pilot studies of restoration carried out within the same project under the different packages. The results of the WP3 included: the development of didactic materials for trainings, including a uniform educational manual with practical activities at the level of all five biosphere reserve countries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia) included in the project, and organization of trainings for national trainers and local educators. The aim of trainings was to develop and improve the knowledge and competencies of participants for the use of various digital tools and interactive techniques and learning methods in nature, and to empower them to independently implement activities from the four areas that are the focus of the project. The educational training in Serbia, named “Be a knowledge receiver on a free-flowing river” was implemented in the Bačko Podunavlje Biosphere reserve (Sombor, Bački Monoštor, Bezdan) during March, April and May, 2022. The training was attended by 21 participants who live and/or work within the protected area itself or in its immediate vicinity. The training participants were teachers, nature conservationist, professional workers in protected areas, tourist guides, youth workers as well as other individuals who teach on importance of environmental protection and actively contribute to the promotion of nature conservation, and play an important role in developing environmental awareness among children and young people. During the training, more than 40 activities from the Manual “Local Communities for Living Rivers” were implemented, which is the key to the successful implementation of an educational program in nature and which is adapted to work with different age categories of participants. A special focus was placed on activities for people with developmental disabilities, with the aim of as effective inclusion as possible. The implementation of the training created a solid network of national trainers and local educators who have an important role in the management, preservation, interpretation and promotion of biosphere reserves. Such a dynamic educational program aimed at protecting nature, with a large number of practical activities and with different profiles of participants, represents an effective work model for learning and developing the awareness of all generations of the local population about the importance of the MDD transboundary biosphere reserve.

U okviru projekta “LifelineMDD“, kojega sufinancira EU putem Interreg Danube Transnational Programme, unutar WP3 paketa, koji je koordiniran od strane WWF Adria Srbije, razvijan je edukativni program za prenošenje znanja i vještina članovima lokalne zajednice o važnosti očuvanja prirode i ekološke povezanosti u Petodržavnom rezervatu biosfere Mura-Drava-Dunav. Program je utemeljen na rezultatima istraživanja i znanstvenih studija o biotičkim indikatorskim vrstama ptica i riba, abiotičkim faktorima transporta sedimenta i klimatskih promjena, suradnji različitih dionika te pilot studijama restauracije, urađenim unutar istog projekta u okviru različitih paketa. Rezultati WP3 obuhvatili su: izradu didaktičkih materijala za obuke, uključujući ujednačeni edukativni priručnik s praktičnim aktivnostima na razini svih pet zemalja rezervata biosfere (Austrija, Slovenija, Hrvatska, Mađarska i Srbija) uključenih u projekt te organizaciju obuka za nacionalne trenere i lokalne edukatore iz spomenutih zemalja. Cilj ovih obuka bio je razvijanje i unaprjeđivanje znanja, vještina i kompetencija sudionika za korištenje različitih digitalnih alata i interaktivnih tehnika i metoda učenja u prirodi te njihovo osnaživanje za samostalnu provedbu aktivnosti iz četiriju područja koja su u fokusu projekta. Edukativna obuka u Srbiji “Tu na rijeci znanje ispeci“ urađena je unutar Rezervata biosfere Bačko Podunavlje (Sombor, Bački Monoštor, Bezdan) tijekom ožujka, travnja i svibnja, 2022. godine. Obuci je nazočilo 21 sudionik koji živi i/ili radi unutar zaštićenog područja ili u njegovoj neposrednoj blizini. Sudionici obuke su bili nastavnici, učitelji, čuvari prirode, stručni djelatnici u zaštićenim područjima, turistički vodiči, djelatnici u radu s mladima kao i ostali pojedinci koji podučavaju druge o značaju zaštite okoliša i aktivno doprinose promociji očuvanja prirode, te igraju značajnu ulogu u razvijanju ekološke svijesti kod djece i mladih. Tijekom obuke ostvareno je preko 40 aktivnosti iz Priručnika “Lokalne zajednice za žive rijeke“ koji predstavlja ključ za uspješno provođenje obrazovnog programa u prirodi, a koji je prilagođen radu s različitim uzrastima sudionika. Također poseban fokus je stavljen na aktivnosti prilagođene osobama s razvojnim smetnjama, u cilju što efikasnijeg uključivanja. Realizacijom obuke uspostavljena je čvrsta mreža obučenih trenera i lokalnih edukatora koji su važna spona u upravljanju, očuvanju, interpretaciji i promociji rezervata biosfere. Ovakav dinamičan obrazovni program u cilju zaštite prirode, uz veliki broj praktičnih aktivnosti te s različitim profilima sudionika, efikasan je model rada za učenje i razvijanje svjesti svih generacija lokalnog stanovništva o značaju Petodržavnog rezervata biosfere Mura-Drava- Dunav.