This session is led by Dr. Rachelle Gould, an Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont. Rachelle will start us off by exploring how conservation education is more than creating awareness, and more than information delivery. The session will discuss how the core goal of conservation education is to develop informed, active citizens who feel empowered to create change. Throughout the session the group will discuss considerations, ideas, and sample learning activities that can help to develop informed, active members of society.
Session 2: Land of the Snow Leopard Network
For this Session we have the pleasure to invite the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL) Network. LOSL is part of a groundbreaking collaboration between western and indigenous science and has two overriding goals: reviving ancient conservation practices and creating pathways for Indigenous Cultural Practitioners to be coequal partners in research and planning for the conservation of snow leopards.
The network is striving to help the GSLEP governments understand and embrace the snow leopard’s spiritual nature and fundamental place in indigenous practices as well as to share knowledge of the spiritual and cultural importance of these cats and the imperative to embrace this knowledge in securing landscapes for their preservation. LOSL received the Disney Conservation Hero Award in 2020, recognizing local citizens for their commitment to save wildlife, protect habitats, and inspire their communities to take part in conservation efforts. The Snow Leopard Conservancy facilitates Land of Snow Leopard and provides technical and fiscal support. This Session will focus on introducing the indigenous ways of learning and teaching in snow leopard landscapes, with a special focus on two of LOSL’s programs: 1. learning from elders and 2. teaching in nomadic communities.
Session 2.1: Introduction to Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL)
Session 2.2: Aksakals and youth for the snow leopard and its habitat
Session 2.3: Snow Leopard Day in the Altai, Russia
Session 2.4: Nomadic Nature Trunk Program for Mountain Eco-System Conservation
Session 3 & 4: Connecting Learning to the Natural World – A Nature Classrooms Approach
As part of this module, Sessions 3 and 4 were conducted by the Nature Classrooms team – Connecting learning to the Natural World – A Nature Classrooms Approach
This 2 part interactive workshop was led by Vena Kapoor, Roshni Ravi and Mythreyi Kumaraswamy from the Nature Classrooms team at Nature Conservation Foundation. We discussed how we can work closely with schools, teachers and educators to develop age appropriate and locally-culturally relevant nature learning resources to enrich and support existing school curricula for Environmental Studies.
The sessions highlighted how we can provide opportunities to develop empathy, love and wonder while exploring and building active connections with the natural world. The workshop included discussions on nature learning pedagogy and tools, demonstrations on inquiry based learning and examples of resources that Nature Classrooms have designed.
More details about the Nature Classrooms project can be accessed here.
You can contact the team by writing to them at:
