About the project

The population of wolf, bear and lynx are recovering - all over Europe. The SCHUBZ Environmental Education Center Lüneburg has therefore launched the international education initiative EDU-Wildlife: Young people in Lower Saxony and Romania deal with the role of large carnivores in modern Europe. Together with numerous partners, the SCHUBZ is developing educational materials in German, English and Romanian that will be available for schools and educational centers.

What some see as a successful species protection, the others see as a threat. The international education initiative EDU-Wildlife starts right there: Young people in Lower Saxony and Romania deal with the role of wolves, bears and lynxes in modern Europe. During the education initiative, young people from Lower Saxony and Romania discuss the coexistence of large carnivores in an international comparison. In school lessons as well as in project weeks and wildlife clubs, the young people pick up the topic, exchange ideas and search for solutions for a less conflicting interaction.

The main objectives of the project are...

• Analysis of different communication and management strategies for dealing with carnivores in a European comparison
• Establishment of a qualified network of scientists and educators coming from Romania and Germany to communicate important insights
• Development of innovative and sustainable teaching material in the sense of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
• Awareness raising (with young people as future decision-makers) for the compatibility of a less conflicting coexistence, taking into account divergent usage claims and activities in and with nature

Why use the bear, wolf and lynx as a learning opportunity?

The coexistence of humans and large carnivores such as the wolf, bear and lynx presents a learning opportunity - one in which the effectiveness of protected areas and the acceptance of large predators can be discussed with learners, taking into account social and ecological developments.
The basis for this is the signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992) with which the United Nations expressed its commitment to halting the loss of biodiversity. The aim of the Convention is to raise awareness of the value of biodiversity and to integrate the topic into school curricula (goal 1 of the CBD).

The Wolf, Bear and Lynx as an Opportunity for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

EDU-Wildlife focuses on the species wolf, bear and lynx and develops educational programs for promoting sustainable development and compares international management systems in its concepts. The project promotes not only the acquisition of knowledge, but above all cognitive skills in children and young people. Cognitive skills here refer to the ability to apply knowledge about sustainable development and to recognize problems of unsustainable development (cf. de Haan, 2007). The aim is to acquire skills to shape the future in an active and autonomous way. Rational, emotional and practical components are particularly relevant here, as well as the power of judgement. In this context, sustainable means coexistence between humans and wildlife with fewer conflicts and the protection of a species-rich environment.

Our MOOC

The MOOC is a digital learning platform and consists of 4 learning units/modules. These are further divided into small lessons. It is a self-study course consisting of explanatory videos, educational films and background information.

EDU-WILDLIFE

Funding

Funding period 2017 to 2020

German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), Bingo Environmental Foundation in Lower Saxony, Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection in Lower Saxony

About the SCHUBZ Lüneburg

The Environmental Education Center SCHUBZ is a regional environmental education center accredited by the state of Lower Saxony, sponsored by the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg. It develops educational concepts and educational materials in the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The educational offerings focus on all key issues of a ESD. Conferences as well as national and international projects are also part of the portfolio.