Education and Ecology: Children Should Get to Know Nature

In the last few decades environmental education is not only an additional activity, but a necessity so that young people can get to know nature, their surroundings, as well as the problems it faces. Every year we witness increasing destruction of natural resources and reduction of protected areas. Education from the earliest age seems to be the best weapon in the fight for nature conservation. Ecological education should have an important place both in and out of schools. Ecological education gives children the opportunity to become active in solving globally important issues.

By visiting and staying outdoors children can learn best about ecosystems, how we are linked to them as well as the products we get. Walks in forests, visits to museums, farms and arable fields, classes in botanical gardens are just some of the practical ways children can learn about nature. The importance of ecological education can be seen in the fact that globally there are increasingly more environmental topics in education, while children spend more time outside.

In order to help with ecological education, the Nature Conservation Programme opened an education centre for nature conservation in the village of Negrevo. The main goal of the education centre is to contribute to nature conservation in the Bregalnica region, through education and raising public awareness, as well as promotion of sustainable use of natural resources. The visitors to the Education Centre will learn about the importance of nature in a particular and original manner, through presentations about the diversity of the Bregalnica basin. The Education Centre also organizes thematic workshops, when children can interactively learn about the importance of nature and the responsibility to preserve natural values.