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Description
Despite of considerable development of research on ecosystem services (ES), their application to environmental management in Poland is still inhibited. The challenge is adaptation of the existing knowledge for Polish conditions and transposition of knowledge into operational one. The needs involve integration of developed scientific knowledge with the interest and competences of officials, as well as the increasing of skills of experts participating in the procedures of environmental management.
The project addresses existing challenges by: selection relevant ecosystem services (ES) and their indicators for main ecosystem types in Poland; mapping and assessment of ES in national, regional and local scale; cross-cutting analysis of ecological, cultural and economic values of ES; identification of significant ES synergies and trade-offs and relevant ES bundles; dissemination and exchange of knowledge.
The project aims in increasing the scientific potential and the ability of administration and interested social groups to implement ecosystem services approach in environmental management.
Scientists – by increasing the scientific capacity. Administration, interested social groups – by developing awareness of the political, social and ecological potential of ES approach.
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research will contribute to experience-sharing and training-related activities by preparing and presentation of Norwegian experiences during project kick-off meeting as well as workshops devoted to individual ecosystem types. Moreover, the Project Partner will prepare comments on delivered maps of main ES values for individual ecosystem types. The Partner will also prepare and present the comparative study on state of the art in Norway and Poland after the project finalization.
Summary of project results
Without an immediate cessation of the destruction of wetlands and the restoration of those that have already been transformed, we will not limit the ecological and climate crisis, nor will we adapt to the changing environment.
Wetlands, which in Poland constitute approximately 14.2% of the area (GIS Wetlands), increase biodiversity, constitute a refuge for amphibians and birds in Poland and in Europe, and are crucial for the protection of drinking water resources. Wetlands retain and purify water, prevent floods and prevent fires. They also play an extremely important role in regulating the climate, constituting resources of organic carbon comparable to forests.
Despite their undeniable importance for maintaining life on Earth, wetlands are endangered ecosystems. In the 20th century, more than half of the world''s wetlands were degraded. By the mid-1970s, at least 150 million m3 of water had "irretrievably" drained from Polish peatlands. (GIS Wetlands). It is almost always caused by anthropogenic factors, caused by economic needs, which lead to a decrease in the natural values of these ecosystems and their importance in shaping biodiversity or water resources, and in extreme cases – to their degeneration and disappearance (K. Tobolski 2012). The main threats include: drainage, cessation of appropriate management and the entry of invasive species, predatory exploitation of peat, improper implementation of small retention. The huge devastation of wetland areas results from the burning of peat bogs and reed beds by farmers and fishermen. Additionally, serious threats to the natural values of wetlands are: dynamic development of recreation, uncontrolled tourist traffic, expansion of tourist infrastructure and summer resorts, residential development and, in addition, intensification of some forms of agriculture and attempts to afforest local open spaces. Especially small wetlands, with an area of less than 1 hectare, are not protected and are the first to fall victim to human economy. (J. Sienkiewicz, 2012).
In addition to the unsatisfactory level of compliance with applicable environmental protection regulations, the degradation of wetlands is influenced by the still low level of awareness of their ecological role, including:
- the persistent perception of wetlands as wastelands that should be "revitalized" in public opinion;
- the widespread lack of understanding of the far-reaching effects of economic impacts, which are much more important for the functioning of wetlands than for other ecosystems.
- lack of knowledge or its ignorance about the benefits resulting from the existence and functioning of wetlands in nature.
Maintaining the high level of natural values of wetlands and restoring these values requires appropriate action to increase ecological awareness and shape the opinion of society and local authorities. Experts point to the main threat to wetlands existing on a local scale. A particularly important group among local communities are the owners of wetlands, including farmers. Despite the undeniable value of water and wetland ecosystems, it is difficult to convince them to manage them in a way that would also support their protection. In accordance with the objectives of the Strategy for the Protection of Wetlands in Poland (MS, 2006), the campaign implemented as part of the project will:
- raised awareness among decision-makers and local communities of the value of water and wetland areas and the need to protect them,
- developed a sense of pride in the owners of naturally valuable wetland areas and conscious protection,
- provided knowledge in the form of various educational tools,
- reached different age groups with knowledge about wetland ecosystems.
supported civic and local activity concerning the protection of wetland areas or their elements.
The project "Ecogenerations. Wetlands - water, life, climate" is an intergenerational educational campaign with a reach of 87,800 people, which was implemented simultaneously in 30 towns in Poland and 1 in Norway, in the immediate vicinity of which there are wetlands. Its aim was to increase the ecological awareness of local communities about the ecosystem services of wetlands and the need to protect them in the immediate vicinity. The title of the project carried the most important substantive message, talking about the invaluable ecosystem services of wetlands and fighting the false belief about their uselessness. The main target groups were seniors and youth and local communities. The Earth and People Foundation together with the Inland Norway University of Applied Science implemented a coherent education plan for different age groups, showing how to integrate different generations, their knowledge and skills in order to achieve a sustainable future for the next generations. Among the local community, an important target group were farmers and owners of land on which unprotected wetlands are located. At the same time, the project was created by representatives of local communities - 30 partner Universities of the Third Age (UTW) associated in the network of "Earth-Friendly Universities". UTW received the status of project ambassador and, as part of the 2nd cascade, implemented the activities of the Local Social Action called "Eco-generations adopt the ecosystem", calling for learning about and taking care of the nearby, "own" wetland ecosystem, and consequently, constituting an expression of civic activity for environmental protection.
As part of the campaign, the following were implemented:
- Conference with a seminar for Eco-Animators
A two-day opening conference with a seminar for eco-animators was prepared and implemented on June 13-14, 2022, under the patronage of the Wetland Protection Center.
Result - 62 participants.
The conference was an event initiating the project, which will be addressed to a wide range of project stakeholders, familiarizing them with its assumptions and engaging them in subsequent activities. The lecture part was attended by experts from recognized academic and research units, representatives of the Partner, and senior organizations most active in ecological education. A unique formula for UTW, which proved to be very effective, was the creation of a group of EcoAnimators directly from among the Leaders and engaged Listeners. They are implementing a very important goal of the project, which is the emergence of people aware of the importance of ecological education among those responsible for the shape of classes at the Universities and who are important links in local communities. Consequently, they will influence the construction of the project''s durability and the inclusion of UTW in the group of institutions actively implementing ecological education programs.
- Intergenerational lectures and workshops
31 Intergenerational educational activities (lectures, workshops) were carried out, for which 50 posters were prepared.
Result - 1884 participants in intergenerational classes
Any activities raising ecological awareness must have a solid substantive foundation. A proven formula of classes is intergenerational workshops and auditorium lectures conducted by specialists. Combining older and younger groups results in synergistic benefits of mutual exchange of knowledge and experience.
- Social Campaign "Eco-generations adopt wetlands"
In cooperation with UTW and INN, 31 organizations were engaged to conduct 31 local social campaigns "Eco-generations adopt wetlands", for which 100 posters were prepared. Result - 31 organizations implementing the Local Social Campaign
A Photography and Art Competition was co-organized by UTW qand Foundation, for which 1,000 posters were prepared. Result: 166 competition works. 9 prizes were awarded in 3 age categories and 9 distinctions
As part of the 2nd cascade, which in the project is the local campaign "Eco-generations adopt wetlands", the Eco-Animators were tasked with initiating actions activating different generations and social groups in pro-ecological activities. This is a form of cascade education created especially for UTW, thanks to which we significantly increase the durability of the project. The selection of UTW as ambassadors of the project as part of the campaign builds trust in local communities and allows us to reach important stakeholders and local decision-makers. Transferring organizational responsibility to UTW allowed for the campaign to be tailored to the specific needs of each community and effectively engaging schools and kindergartens in joint activities. The Foundation provided partner UTWs with organizational and material support, enabling them to conduct their own events. A leading event, supported by Foundation was The Photography and Art Competition performed on 30 UTW of the project as well as on many polish UTW around the country.
- Publications and educational and promotional materials,
A popular science publication "How and why to protect wetlands. A guide for local communities" by Jadwiga Sienkiewicz and Leszek Kucharski and a brochure "Minikompendium Wiedzy o mokradach" by Mateusz Skłodowski were prepared and distributed. Both publications are available in digital form. Result - 5,000 copies of the publication, 30,000 copies of the brochure.
A website for the project (www.mokradla.pl) and a Facebook page were created. Result - 10,000 unique users of the website, 477 followers of the Facebook profile, Facebook reach: 3,154 people.
Traditional and digital publications and a dedicated educational platform are a support tool for eco-animators and ecological educators, a source of information for stakeholders. Within the publications, it was assumed that they would be differentiated in style, volume, content and form of communication depending on the target group and distribution channel. The publications increased the durability of the project after its completion and, thanks to the digital formula, they also have nationwide potential.
• Campaign in traditional and digital media, PR activities
Campaigns were carried out in senior media by issuing 3 articles in: Głos Seniora, Gazeta Senior, Panorama. Result - a total reach of 46,000 people was achieved (based on circulation data).
Similarly to publications, the media campaign was adapted to the target groups. The campaign in traditional media - senior press - was aimed at groups of older people, while the campaign in social media reached mainly young people.
Main information events: Presentation and exhibition stand during the “Wetlands Pact” Conference of the University of Warsaw and the Wetlands Protection Center (February 4-7, 2023). Presentation during the Institute of Environmental Protection IOŚ seminar “World Wetlands Day” (February 2, 2024).
The project involved 87,800 people.
The project was aimed at 30 local communities in Poland and 1 in Norway, which have wetlands in their immediate vicinity. The main target groups of the project were representatives of two generations:
- seniors (people aged 60+)
- school youth.
In addition, the project reached:
- social groups important for the protection of wetlands, in particular farmers and other owners of properties where wetlands are located,
- all local communities in selected locations,
- non-governmental organizations, representatives of local government and other stakeholder groups whose activities concern wetlands
The synergistic potential of intergenerational cooperation and effective reaching of families justified the creation of a project integrating the two main target groups. Currently, people over 60 years of age constitute almost 27% of the population of Poland (GUS 2018), so it is also a significant group among local communities. The institutions educating and activating seniors that will take an active part in the project are the Universities of the Third Age (UTW). Seniors are a group that has a large transgenerational influence on the behavior of children and youth, thanks to strong family ties resulting from the cultural conditions of Poles.
The target group of school youth in the demographic structure of local communities constitutes 11% of the total number of residents (GUS 2018). The importance of this target group is emphasized in the National Strategy for Environmental Education of the Ministry of the Environment. Children and youth can be full-fledged partners of adults in the fight for environmental protection.
By reaching these two age groups, it was possible to indirectly reach all age and social groups within the family and neighborhood. An important group in local communities will be the owners of wetlands, in particular farmers, whose activities related to drainage, agricultural management, use of peat and investment decisions affect the condition of wetlands on private land.
One of the most valuable experiences of the project was the development of cooperation assumptions and exchange of experiences with the Norwegian partner - Inland Norway University of Applied Science. We managed to show good educational practices within the local communities of the partner university, obtain valuable natural knowledge about valuable ecosystems from a Norwegian perspective.
For the implementation of the Conference task, cooperation with the Wetland Protection Center and the opportunity to observe experts during a field trip to the Całowanie Bagno was a great experience. We also used the Center''s experience when creating a brochure with basic information on the value of wetlands for nature and people. The Center shared knowledge on ways and engaging local communities in active protection of wetlands, and during the project itself learned about the effect of the Earth and People Foundation''s many years of experience in implementing intergenerational activities and the resulting benefits for disseminating knowledge. This resulted in the presence of the Wetlands = water, life, climate project at the very prestigious scientific conference of the University of Warsaw "Pact for wetlands" in February 2023, where we were able to talk about the project and disseminate its results.
The planned package of intergenerational activities was met with a very good response from the Universities of the Third Age. 30 Universities took part in the Social Campaign "Eco-generations adopt wetlands", once again showing the potential of intergenerational cooperation and involvement of local schools and kindergartens in joint activities. In each senior organization, various intergenerational activities were carried out and each UTW adopted a nearby water and mud area in a different form. Well-known forms such as lectures, workshops, trips, competitions and quizzes worked very well. The biggest challenge was the request to prepare film material from the adopted area. This form turned out to be too much of a challenge for some UTWs, who preferred a descriptive or photographic form. However, the collected material turned out to be very valuable content, ideal for dissemination also through social media channels.
The photography and art competition for 3 age groups went off without any problems. UTWs not only "used" their painting and photography sections but also disseminated the competition among schools and kindergartens.
We consider the participation of a large group of high school youth in both the competition and the intergenerational meetings to be a great success – which is not so easy in this age group.
Summary of bilateral results
Bilateral cooperation between the Earth and People Foundation and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) within the project "Wetlands - water, life, climate" resulted in implementation on an international scale, which directly contributed to a much wider dissemination of knowledge and project results than would have been the case at the national level. The cooperation allowed for the expansion of the target group to include the local community of Norway and the age group of students and included the use of the quality and experience of an educational institution such as a university in a project coordinated by an NGO. In particular, the project was enriched by a number of academic seminars, a field trip through the landscapes of central Norway (The Glomma river at Åsta, Åmot municipality, Åkersvika, Hamar municipality and Lågendeltaet, Lillehammer municipality). The implementation of the joint project became a solid basis for planning new potential cooperation thanks to the experience gained and paving the way in the organizational and accounting scope, which, regardless of the substantive and promotional benefits, is an extremely important element of international cooperation.