BASICS OF COPING IN NATURE ON ONE’S OWN

1. Summary

Children can carry out a number of practical activities which will develop a better understanding of how to cope when getting lost in the forest and having to stay there overnight on one’s own.* The length of the programme depends on the age group, their experiences, skills, availability of time, funding, number of themes to be covered, season, weather conditions etc.

2. Target group

Programme can be adapted according to the following age groups: 8-12 yrs, 13-16 yrs, 17-… yrs.

3. Learning outcomes

Participants acquire fire making, fire keeping and fire distinguishing skills

Participants learn possible ways of using garbage that has been left by people lying around in nature (eg old plastic bags, cans, tins etc):

o making a cord/rope from a plastic bag, o making a torch from a candle and an empty soft-

drink can, o making a filter from a tin to clean watero making fishing equipment from a tin

Participants learn how to make different kinds of shelter or use natural shelters already existing in nature to stay overnight or to hide from rain

Participants learn what is happening in their psychology when they find themselves in a potentially dangerous situation (eg lost in the forest alone at night; a child left in the forest with an injured adult who is in need for medical assistance etc)

Participants learn basic orienteering skills and how to use a compass

4. Connection to subject of curriculum

Physical Education, national curriculum – graduates of gymnasium level have to have basic orienteering skills on landscape and use a compass.

5. Equipment needed

Different kinds of matches (regular, water-proof, wind-resistant etc) and other items to start fire with

Tampons Candles Empty cans, tins Big piece of plastic Different materials to be collected from nature (without

harming nature) Compass Clothes depending on weather conditions

6. Preparation

Marking the route of the hike on a map 10-15 minute introduction of the programme and giving some theoretical

information to the target group

7. Activities / process

Children are divided into small groups (3-5 children in a group) Each group appoints a leader; within the group leader is changed after

each activity, so that each group member could take the role of the leader and practice being in charge

Instructor gives all the needed items to each group and tells to make a torch, a cord, fishing equipment and a water filter from them.

Each group prepares them and group leader presents the made products to the rest of the groups.

Instructor shows also alternative ways of preparing those items. At the end of each activity the learnt theme is summarized and analyzed,

learning points are stressed and participants are asked, what they would like to additionally learn.

Each participant of the group can lead the others, using the compass Best groups and individual participants are awarded

8. Safety

1 adult per 10 children

Instructor constantly checks that all the participants are there

A first-aid kit should be available Safety equipment: mobile phone, radio transmitter, map, compass People who stay behind at the base camp have a map, on which the

hiking route of the group has been marked

9. Extension activities

To make a longer programme and stay overnight (depending on the age, weather conditions, preparation of the target group)

Divide participants into pairs and organise an orienteering competition

STUDY VISIT

1. Summary

Children visit water cleaning, scrap metal collection and garbage collection stations and listen to specialists talk about the activities of these places and their influence on the environment.

2. Target group

Programme can be adapted according to the following age groups: 8-12 yrs, 13-16 yrs, 17-… yrs.

3. Learning outcomes

Participants will value clean water and not waste it Participants will start to think of possible ways how to sort

garbage, reuse things and consume less in their everyday-life

Participants will understand the meaning of definition “ecological footprint”

4. Connection to subject of curriculum

Geography (connection between mankind and nature, understanding of environmental issues both at local as well as global level; water – use and protection of water)

Environment and sustainable development Nature Science (human influence on nature, pollution of air, water and soil

etc)

5. Equipment needed

Bus for study tour Previously made arrangements with places to be visited,

so that specialists would be available to show around and talk about their work

Clothes depending on weather conditions

6. Preparation

15 minute introductory presenatation of sustainability, consumption, garbage issues

Provide handouts with theoretical information to participants

Make prior agreements with the places to be visited

7. Activities / process

Children are given information about the places to be visited, so that they would know what to observe and to understand better. For older age groups, the study tour programme may be provided on paper as well.

Bus picks children up at a meeting point Group leader counts how many children are participating to ensure that

no-one goes missing (after every visit children are counted again, when they are back in the bus)

Children are encouraged to ask questions from the specialists. When driving towards the next visit location in the bus, a discussion

follows to reflect on the place visited. Also brief information is given on the reasons why the next place is visited – what can be learnt.

At the end of the study tour everyone has to fill in a simple multiple choice questionnaire/test to demonstrate understanding of facts learnt during the visits.

Best groups and individual participants are awarded

8. Safety

1 adult per 10 children Group leader has to make sure all the children are

entering the bus after each visit A first-aid kit should be available Prior information on possible dangers in the places to be

visited & instructions on how to behave provided to participants

9. Extension activities

Homework is given: to write an essay on “What can I do to consume less water?” or “How can I produce less garbage?”

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST TO BE FILLED IN AT THE END OF THE STUDY TOUR(the test should have 15-20 questions)

1. Every year, an average Estonian produces……. kg of household garbage.

a) 130 kgb) 380 kgc) 630 kgd) 1030 kg

2. Leaves, grass, food leftovers etc can be compsted. The compost pile should be at least …. metres from your well.

a) 5 mb) 15 mc) 25 md) 50 m

3. You can save one tree, when you collect …. kg of old paper

a) 70 kgb) 100 kgc) 150 kgd) 200 kg

4. Which of listed garbage are considered to be dangerous and should be brought to a special collection station for dangerous substances?*You can select more than one answer.

a) cardboardb) batteries, accumulatorsc) old paints, glues, lacquersd) plastic bags

5. About 71% of Earth’s surface is covered with water, but only about …..% of it is suitable for drinking, cooking, washing and growing agricultural crops.

a) 1%b) 10%c) 25%d) 50%

SORTING GARBAGE

1. Summary

Children collect garbage lying around in the surroundings (or alternatively empty a garbage container) and sort the garbage. They discuss, has it been necessary to throw all the things into garbage. The aim of the programme is to raise awareness on pollution and make the target group understand how important it is to sort garbage.

2. Target group

Programme can be adapted according to the following age groups: 8-12 yrs, 13-16 yrs, 17-… yrs.

3. Learning outcomes

Participants will start to sort garbage – they will not throw away paper, plastic bottles, etc but bring them to special collection stations

Changed behaviour of participants will positively influence also their family members and friends

Participants will become more environment-friendly also in their other activities

4. Connection to subject of curriculum

Geography (connection between mankind and nature, understanding of environmental issues both at local as well as global level; water – use and protection of water)

Environment and sustainable development Nature Science (human influence on nature, pollution of air, water and soil

etc)

5. Equipment needed

Gloves Garbage container (or alternatively: time to collect garbage

that is lying around in the surroundings) Plastic bags

6. Preparation

Find a suitable place where to carry out the activity and make prior agreement

Introductory presentation on how to sort garbage, its importance and safety when doing it

Disseminate thematical fliers / brochures If possible, give special T-shirts for participants to wear (will raise attention

and increase motivation of participants as well) Invite a lecturer / guest speaker who is working with sorting garbage or to

show a video so that participants can see how garbage is sorted in collection points

7. Activities / process

Children are given a short lecture on sorting garbage (see the handout – in Estonian language)

Children are divided into small groups of 3-5 members Each child gets a plastic bag Each group covers an area in the neighbourhood, collecting garbage that

has been thrown on the ground into the plastic bags (or alternatively: a big garbage container is emptied). Anything that does not belong to nature has to be collected.

Group jointly sorts the collected garbage: paper, cardboard, bottles, tins, organic garbage, dangerous garbage etc

Each groups prepares a presentation to the others: which things should not have been thrown away, what could have been done with them so that it would be more environment friendly

Teacher summarizes and brings out the learning points Best groups and individual participants are awarded

8. Safety

1 adult per 10 children A first-aid kit should be available Previous instructions: to wear gloves at all times, to be

especially careful with sharp items like metal and glass, to wash hands afterwards.

9. Extension activities

To organize a fashion show on theme „New faces of used materials“

Some explanations to the provided case studies / best practice examples

All the 3 training materials have been tested/trialled by us in different places of Estonia. That is the reason why a map has not been provided – they are not dependant on a geographical region and can be carried out all over the country.

The piloting target groups have included representatives with different social and economical background as well as different age groups

The trainings are also suitable for adults and we feel that it is very important to teach these kinds of things to adults, as they should be role models and it is from them that children should learn how to behave in an environmentally friendly way.

It would be possible to include more details in the training material. However, intentionally we have not done so. The training material examples in the present form, being relatively general, can be easier adapted to the situation in different countries as well as the different target groups. The specifics of how to adapt the materials depend on the local conditions and the previous experiences of the target group as well as their knowledge on these subjects.

Some statistical information that might be of interest (and which influences also the backtround of the target groups and countries): According to Living Planet Report 2000 the Earth can sustain a level of 2.3 hectares per person (ecological footprint).

Ecological footprint (EF) analysis measures human demand on nature. It compares human consumption of natural resources with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate them. It is an estimate of the amount of biologically productive land and sea area needed to regenerate (if possible) the resources a human population consumes and to absorb the corresponding waste, given prevailing technology and current understanding. Using this assessment, it is possible to estimate how many planet Earths it would take to support humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle. While the measure is widely used, some also criticize the approach.

Per capita EF is a means of comparing consumption and lifestyles, and check this against nature's ability to provide for this consumption. The tool can inform policy by examining to what extent a nation uses more (or less) than is available within its territory, or to what extent the nation's lifestyle would be replicable worldwide. The footprint can also be a useful tool to educate people about carrying capacity and over-consumption, with the aim of altering personal behavior. Ecological footprints may be used to argue that many current lifestyles are not sustainable.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint