Description
The project addresses the need to raise awareness among children and school students in Gabrovo area about environment and biodiversity protection. The project aims at raising awareness by training and involving children in field environment protection activities. First, meetings will be held with the schools and kindergartens in the area to select 200 students and 100 kindergarten children to be trained. Second, the selected children will be trained for 6 days to mark 2 tourist routes. Third, the children will have training on biodiversity protection and the results will be measured with entry and exit questionnaires. Fourth, the Young Tourist club will be set up and 20 children will join it. Finally, the project results will be shared with the stakeholders. The project will benefit 300 children from Gabrovo schools and kindergartens, their parents, teachers, tourists and the local community in general.
Summary of project results
The project goal was to use a working experience - and education-based model to train children and young people about biodiversity protection in the Natura 2000 protected areas (Central Balkan – Buffer) and thus contribute to the sustainable development and environment protection in Central Stara Planina region in the long run by involving the local communities and young people. The project provided field training to the children and students from Gabrovo kindergartens and schools in a conserved environment in the Natura 2000 areas and thus contributed to the protection of biodiversity and threatened species in the region. The Young Tourist and Nature Lover Club was set up with the tourism association to help implement the long-term goal of the project. With the setting up of the club the organization resumed its work with children and young people in Gabrovo. The purchased equipment ensured the club’s field work. The leading project activity was the training of the children from kindergartens and students from schools. They were well-organized in terms of both logistics and methodology. The children learned new and interesting things in an amusing way through field games and entertaining activities in a preserved environment. They learned about the European ground squirrel and other animals, the herbs in Central Stara Planina region as well as main rules of mountain movement and safety. The training of the children and students also helped involve their parents. The marking of tourist routes helped refresh the tourist marking in the Uzana area which was important both for the children being trained as well as for the people who would benefit from the marking. 125 children from kindergartens had field training (instead of the 100 children planned) and 200 children from Gabrovo schools.
Summary of bilateral results