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> Forest Report 2015 Condition and Use of Swiss Forests FOEN / WSL 2015
6.12 Forest-related education
Katharina Maag Merki
> Forest-related education encourages children and adults to think about the forest as a place for great experi- ences, and as something they can use and learn from.
> People can research and discover forest habitats by themselves. This makes them particularly useful for reaching the curricula goals related to the topics ‘environment and sustainable development’.
> In Switzerland, many forest-related learning opportunities are available for school children, as well as training courses for teachers.
> Since the last Forest Report in 2005, forest-related education has become more visible in society, school and research.
The forest as a classroom
The forest is like a large classroom in which pupils can expe- rience habitats that are of great importance, both for them and for society. These habitats can be experienced directly as learners can explore and research them on their own. This provides opportunities for very intensive experiences that sup- port learning. The forest is therefore particularly suitable for focussing on important goals in school education, as formu- lated in primary school curricula. These goals include getting to know the forest as an ecosystem, grasping this knowledge holistically and understanding and reflecting on the many mutual benefits and interdependencies between humans and the forest. Additionally, schoolchildren can use the ‘forest classroom’ to reflect on how they and others may use nature to pursue their own interests and needs. They can think about how much their use respects flora and fauna and how humans, animals and plants can constructively co-exist. This requires learning about the economic use of the forest and considering how much their own behaviour supports the forest’s sustain- able development.
Learning opportunities
Forests have been recognised as places of learning for many years. A range of learning opportunities have been devel- oped focussing on different topics and target groups. These help children and adults to think about the forest as a place where they can have experiences, and something they can use and learn from. ‘Education for a sustainable development’
and ’Environmental education’, which also include forestry- related topics, are part of teaching curricula and teacher train- ing courses. The UNO Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005–2014 played a large role in this. Various
institutions have become involved in its implementation, for example, the Swiss UNESCO Commission or the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (Erziehungsdirektoren- konferenz, EDK) or the Swiss Coordination Conference Edu- cation for a Sustainable Development (Schweizerische Koor- dinationskonferenz Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung, SK BNE).
A range of learning activities provide insights into educa- tional topics. For example, children can learn to decipher ani- mal tracks or understand plants’ survival strategies on learn- ing trails. Many municipalities now have forest playgroups or kindergartens where small groups live, learn, eat and play
Fig. 6.12.1 Forest playgroups allow children to use all their senses to discover the forest habitat. Photo: Ulrich Wasem
> 6 Social Economy 6.12 Forest-related education 125
outdoors and enjoy the peace and quiet in (almost) any type of weather (Fig. 6.12.1). To complement school lessons, chil- dren can go to forest schools, nature conservation centres, nature discovery parks, such as the Wildnispark Zürich, and engage in a range of other activities such as those provided by SILVIVA. They are run by professionals and enable teachers and their classes to work on exciting topics. Primary school children can, for example, take part in the project ‘forester’s world’ and experience first-hand the world of those working in the forest. Under the guidance of a forester, they take care of a patch of forest close to where they go to school. Other educational topics are covered in different ways in school, as part of further training for teachers, in research, as well as in society. Table 6.12.1 shows some of the different activities and themes on offer and who is providing them.
Forest-related education has become generally more important, as well as in relation to regional, national and international developments. This is gratifying because for- est habitats can only be protected if the next generation val- ues them and how they are used. Forest-related educational themes should, however, be given more weight and support in future. Currently, in comparison with other issues, they often take a back seat.
Table 6.12.1
Forest-related educational topics for teacher training and schools and in research.
Professional support, further education for teachers or courses for groups of pupils, e.g.
> WWF
> Pro Natura
> Silviva
> SVS/BirdLife Schweiz.
Adult education courses that, in addition to other topics, focus on questions of forest education, e.g. Certification (CAS) ‘nature-related environmental education’
from SILVIVA.
National competence centre for primary schools and for some classes in secondary schools for embedding the topic ‘education for sustainable development’ at a national level, e.g. Stiftung éducation21.
Education for sustainable development (ESD) as a research field, e.g. Kommission BNE der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaften DGfE
(Commission ESD of the German Society for Education).
