Learning about wolves through experience and empowering educators
In order to integrate experiential learning into school workshops on wolves, the project has developed an educational kit called “Wolf in a backpack” (originally conceived by MUSE), as it also supports field activities.
The kit consists of a wolf teaching guide with suggested activities (in SI only) and a brochure with key information on the wolf in Slovenia, as well as role-pay for demonstrating multidimensionality of wolf management. In order to combine the efforts of different EU projects and to consolidate knowledge about large carnivores, some educational materials from LIFE Lynx have also been added: Lynx teaching guide, didactic recommendations for guiding on the Lynx Trail, and the book The Mighty Lynx with discussion guidelines to inform teachers. Educational tools for learning about large carnivores (e.g. casts and moulds for making footprints, replica skulls and scats) were produced, and laboratory equipment for DNA isolation and tools for studying the wolf’s habitat were added.
Prepared educational kits were distributed to various formal and informal learning institutions: Natural History Museum of Slovenia (Slovenia’s oldest cultural and scientific institution), Triglav National Park and DINA Pivka (project administrators), University of Ljubljana, and SFS forest educators and communicators who regularly work with schools at regional level.
The educational kit and proposed educational activities were disseminated at various events in order to train educators to use and implement them effectively in their regular activities (e.g. TNP, DINA Pivka and SFS educators). The kit was also promoted among pre-school and primary school children and biology students.
