The Future of Education

Rodna Mountains National Park and Biosphere Reserve started an innovative model of biodiversity conservation by involving youngsters as pioneers in Romanian system of protected areas. The participatory monitoring of biodiversity in Rodna Mountains National Park (Eastern Carpathians) is a system developed during 9 years and based on involvement of a network formed from 1.000 volunteers - specially pupils, rangers, researchers, experts in flora and fauna, biologists, ecologists which are monitoring 30 flagship species of animals and plants (daffodils, edelweiss, chamois, lynx, bears, wolfs, marmots, alpine snow-bell, alpine spotted gentian, glacial lakes, peat bogs, virgin forests etc.), combining the participatory monitoring with environmental education. The pupils involved in field activities are come from 30 surrounding localities of Rodna Mountains Biosphere Reserve (one of the oldest reserve from Romania - 1932). More than 10 youth exchanges with pupils from Rodna Mountains were organized for transferring the experience and model with other organizations from Germany (Eischfeld-Hanich-Werratal Nature Park), France (Pyrenne National Park), Italy (Gran Paradiso National Park), Hungary (Buck National Park), Estonia (Sooma National Park), Georgia (Borjomi Karagauli National Park), Austria (Hohe Tauern National Park) etc. This model is a blueprint which combining environmental education with nature conservation by involving youngsters as volunteers for nature.