ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION
AT NATIONAL PARKS IN 2000:
SURVEY
Thirty-five national parks functioned in Russia in 2000. In accordance with current legislation, ecological education is a top priority at national parks. At 6 parks (17%), eco-education departments functioned independently or joined forces with similar departments at the following national parks: “Vodlozersky” (Eco-Educationa Department), Zabaikalsky (Science, Recreation and Eco-Education Department), Losiny Ostrov (Department of Eco-Educationa and Eco-Training), Mariy Chodra (Science, Information, Eco-Education and Tourism Service), Nizhnyaya Kama (Department of Science, Excursion Services and Eco-Education), Hvalynsky (Eco-Education and Tourism Department); and in one more national park (3%) eco-education was provided by a workgroup (Kurshkaya Kosa — Eco-Education Sector). In 24 NPs (69%), eco-education was the responsibility of the staff of other NP departments.
On average, 2 persons were involved in eco-education at each national park. The average age of eco-education specialists is 39; 83% have higher education. The NP eco-education staff consists of forestry and garden-and park specialists (29%); natural scientists, such as biologists, geographers, chemists and ecologists (24%); teachers and psychologists (26%); and others specialists, such as agronomists, librarians and philologists (21%).
Museums functioned at 11 national parks (31%) in 2000, including 8 natural
history museums in Vodlozersky, Kurshskaya Kosa, Mariy Chodra, Nizhnyaya
Kama, Paanayarvi, Pripyshmenskye Bory, Sochinsky,and Taganay,
and four other museums in Valdaisky (The Museum of Bianka and M.V.
Vrassky), Losiny Ostrov (Old Russian Hunting, Historical and Archeological
Museum), Pripyshmenskye Bory (Museum of Ethnography), Shushensky
Bor (Forestry History Museum).
Five more parks (14%) (Vodlozersky, Zyuratkul, Plescheevo Ozero, Russky
Sever, Smolny) have constant exhibitions in the NP office or in an outside
museum or institution.
In 2000, the NP staff arranged 1,080 museum excursions for a total of 37,403 visitors. The museums of the following national parks were the most popular: Kurshkaya Kosa (137 excursions, 17,808 visitors), Losiny Ostrov (120 excursions, 2,625 visitors), Sochinsky (172 excursions, 2,389 visitors), Vodlozersky (158 excursions, 1,441 visitors).
Twelve national parks (34%) have visitor centers, and 8 more parks (23%) have
information stations of some kind in the NR office or elsewhere. Seven national
parks (20%) have more than one visitor center or information station: Vodlozersky,
Losiny Ostrov, Pribaikalsky, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Sochinsky, Ugra, Ugyd
Va. A total of 68,537 visitors passed through visitor centers and information
stations in 2000. The Pribaikalsky Visitor Center (Yelantsy Settlement)
had the most visitors (21,470).
In 2000, the staff of 33 national parks (94%) set up 145 exhibitions for different
audiences. Children’s Art Shows (paintings, essays, handicrafts from natural
materials, etc) have become a tradition (51% of all exhibitions). Photography
shows accounted for 17% of the exhibitions; conservation and specialized
shows for 12%. There were also conservation literature exhibitions and shows
by professional artists (3%). Most active here were Valdaisky, Meschera,
Ugra and Ugyd Va. Prielbrusye and Smolny had no
exhibitions at all.
In addition to excursions, the museums and visitor centers organized field trips and various tours. During the past year the most popular kinds of tourism in the national parks were walking tours (19 NPs, or 54%); group and amateur boat tours (14 NPs, or 40%); group and individual car and bus tours (9 NPs, or 26%).
Any excursion or outdoor eco-education activity creates anthropogenic pressure on natural complexes. It is possible to reduce such pressure by providing specially equipped ecological paths and routes. In 2000, 208 ecological paths and routes (12,028 km total) were functioning at 32 national parks (376 km per NP, on average).
A total of 499,315 visitors passed through national parks in 2000 (14,266 visitors per NP, on average), including 41,399 foreign tourists. More than half the total number of visitors were received by Sochinsky (290,100 visitors), while most foreigners (36,389) visited Kurshskaya Kosa.
At the same time, Pripyshmenskye Bory received no tourists at all; Prielbrusye and Smolny did not supervise the tourist access to their parks.
A traditional type of eco-education that does not require much funding is work with the media. In 2000, NP staff wrote 891 articles. The staff of 14 national parks (40%) published 69 articles and items in national editions. The most distinguished parks here were Smolenskoye Poozerye and Ugra (11 and 8 publications respectively). The staff of 34 NPs (97%) published 822 articles in the local and regional press. Plescheevo Ozero (111 articles), Ugra (95) and Valdaisky (83) published the most.
In 2000 the staff of 28 national parks (80%) participated in 246 television programs. The staff of 7 NPs (20%) appeared on national TV 14 times, including 3 appearances by Losiny Ostrov and 2 by Vodlozersky.
The staff of 20 NPs (57%) appeared on regional and local TV 232 times. Sochinsky (31 appearances), Ugra (28) and Nizhnyaya Kama (21) were the most active.
The staff of 25 NPs (71%) were broadcast 252 times on radio. The staff of 6 NPs (17%) participated in 11 programs on national radio; half of these (5 programs) were organized by Valdaisky. The staff of 25 national parks (71%) were broadcast on regional and local radio 241 times. Of these broadcasts, 33 were organized by Nizhnyaya Kama and 31 by Ugra.
In 2000, 14 NPs (40%) published newsletters or bulletins for the local community, or provided financial support or expertise for such publications. Publications by the following NPs had the largest circulations: Smolenskoye Poozerye — 3,999 copies, with Zapovednye Ostrova (the NP co-founded the newspaper), Losiny Ostrov and Nizhnyaya Kama —2,000 copies each.
Supplements to regional and local newspapers were issued with the financial support and expertise of 4 national parks (11%): Alania, Plescheevo Ozero, Russky Sever, and Ugyd Va.
Leaflets, brochures and photo albums were issued by 23 national parks (66%):
Alkhanai, Bashkiriya, Valdaisky, Vodlozersky, Zabaikalsky, Zyuratkul,
Mariy Chodra, Meschera, Meschersky, Nechkinsky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Orlovskoye
Polesye, Paanayarvi, Pripyshmenskye Bory, Russky Sever, Samarskaya Luka,
Sebezhsky, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Ugra, Hvalynsky, Shorshky, Shushensky Bor,
Ugyd Va. Fourteen NPs (40%) issued posters; postcards; and wall, desk
and pocket calendars: Alkhanai, Valdaisky, Zyuratkul, Orlovskoye Polesie,
Paanayarvi, Plescheevo Ozero, Pripyshmenskye Bory, Russky Sever, Samarskaya
Luka, Sebezhsky, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Sochinsky, Ugra, and Shushensky
Bor.
Souvenirs and information materials (books, manuals, leaflets, kits, children’s
art albums, badges, stickers, etc.) were produced by 15 national parks (43%):
Valdaisky, Vodlozersky, Meschersky, Nechkinsky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Orlovskoye
Polesye, Plescheevo Ozero, Pribaikalsky, Russky Sever, Samarskaya Luka,
Smolenskoye Poozerye, Smolny, Sochinsky, Ugra and Shorsky.
Environmental scenes were filmed at 24 NPs (69%), mostly by outside organizations; copies of these photographs and videos remained at only 13 national parks.
Paanayarvi, Pribaikalsky and Shorsky have their own websites;
a number of other parks use the websites of other organizations to display
information.
Work with schoolchildren remains one of the most important kinds of eco-education in which NP staff are involved. National parks generally prefer to organize contests and give lectures (particularly using games techniques, photographs and videos). Forestry remains a traditional and highly effective NP forum for children who listen to lectures; participate in rallies, workshops and conferences as well as in research work; assist in equipping NP paths; work in nurseries; and participate in other activities and events arranged by NP staff.
The following national parks worked with schoolchildren: Vodlozersky,
Plescheevo Ozero, Kenozersky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Paanayarvi, Orlovskoye Polesye
and others.
National parks organized festive conservation activities and holiday events dedicated to nature conservation. In 2000 all the national parks took active part in the March For Parks conservation campaign as well as in a number of other events, such as Earth Day, Bird Day, Forestry Service Day, etc.
Public activities such as festivals, marathons, meetings, processions, concerts etc., were dedicated to ecological holidays. NP staff, authorities, environmental activists and scientists gave speeches; agitprop teams organized special shows. Amateur and professional performances, exciting theatrics, colorful decoration, posters, balloons, etc., drew the public. The events were covered in the media. The most numerous campaigns were organized by Vodlozersky (18,348 people), Plescheevo Ozero (around 15,000), Alania (13,483), Kenozersky and Sochinsky (over 10,000 each).
Almost all NPs were engaged in eco-education activities in 2000. Most active were Vodlozersky, Valdaisky, Kenozersky, Kurshkaya Kosa, Paanayarvi, Plescheevo Ozero, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Sochinsky, Ugra and Shushensky Bor.
V. B. Stepanitsky,
Deputy Head
Department of Environmental Protection and Ecological Safety
Ministry of Natural Resources
