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Description
In this project, we invite young people to carry out public campaigns for the creation of new national parks in Poland. Such a park has not been created in Poland for 21 years, which may indicate a crisis in the Polish system of nature protection. As part of the project, we are preparing and implementing three campaigns for the creation of new national parks. The campaigns are being carried out in areas where it would be possible and desirable to establish a national park: in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (Jurassic National Park), nearby the City of Szczecin (Lower Oder National Park) and in the middle section of the Vistula River (Vistula National Park). The campaigns are conducted with the participation of local communities, especially young people. The aim of the project is to gain local ambassadors for the idea of creating new parks and to provide them with promotional tools. In the three selected locations we are working on local diagnoses and developing campaign tools. In the campaigns, we focus on reaching out to local decision-makers. We use various tools and methods of work: from popularisation activities, showing the potential of a given place, through various forms of participatory activities, such as petitions, public consultations or submitting comments on local plans. The project also involves the preparation of publicly available educational materials containing the experiences gathered.
Summary of project results
1. Skepticism or reluctance of national and local public opinion towards the idea of establishing new PNs
2. Lack of spokesmen lobbying for the establishment of PNs among local communities in areas neighboring the proposed PNs.
3. Low level of knowledge of young people about the importance of the National Park for nature conservation. 4. Low level of knowledge of young people about available means of influencing decision-makers and public opinion.
As part of the project, we prepared and implemented three social campaigns for the creation of new national parks. The campaigns were carried out in three locations in areas where it would be possible and desirable to create a National Park: in Łomianki (the campaign concerned the Wisła National Park), Szczecin (Lower Oder National Park) and in Szczekociny (Jurassic National Park). We invited young people from the area to get involved in each campaign. The Łomianki Youth Council and people associated with the ring-making camp were involved in activities around the Vistula River. The topic of the Lower Oder River was discussed by representatives of the Szczecin Youth Climate Strike. In the case of the Jurassic National Park, the participants were associated with the School Complex in Szczekociny. Each group took part in a series of workshops. Their topics and course were a response to the needs and interests of each group. During the workshops, participants had the opportunity to increase their knowledge about the National Park and other forms of nature protection, learn about the specific nature of their place of residence and areas that are worth protecting. Participants also indicated the topics and methods they would like to use in the campaign. With this in mind, subsequent editions of the workshops were selected: photography workshops, graphic design workshops, map workshops, and social research workshops. During field workshops, we had the opportunity to directly experience nature and increase our knowledge about areas worthy of protection. In Szczecin, the workshops took the form of a two-day expedition with an activist guide to inaccessible areas of the Lower Oder National Park. In Warsaw, they got to know the area of the Wisła National Park during a rafting and hiking expedition, combined with outdoor photography. Youth from Szczekocin participated in an expedition along the Wiercica River and explored the forest, ponds and the Pilica River in the vicinity of Szczekocin. Field activities were complemented by outdoor workshops organized in Warsaw during the meeting summarizing the project.
Over 30 young people had the opportunity to take part in a long workshop-campaign process, the shape of which was largely a response to the needs and ideas they presented. As a result of the project, their knowledge of nature conservation increased, including the establishment of national parks. Activist skills related to using tools to influence the public sphere were awakened or strengthened. The project strengthened their sense of effectiveness and responsibility for their surroundings, especially nature. We believe that thanks to the project, young people saw the value of involvement in local issues and nature conservation. Young people also had the opportunity to improve their competences in other fields - e.g. photography, graphic design, workshop work. Their communication skills and information about their activities and demands have improved to local and supra-local public opinion. They also became co-creators of materials of high substantive and artistic level. Young people''s demands regarding the need to protect nature were addressed to people and institutions as well as to local and supra-local public opinion. Issues related to the establishment of parks have gained spokesmen whose voice will be interpreted as authentic (young people, representatives of local communities neighboring the areas designated for protection).