A common curriculum about natural values in Europe

Introduction

On the first stage we have to define what natural values mean. “Natural values” as a term is very relative. It marks those objects in the nature which we, humans consider for various reasons more valuable than other things. Certain human activities pollute and destroy the natural habitats of plants and animals, eliminating these species from ecosystems, sometimes in their last resorts from the Earth. We, humans have a well-defined role and responsibility to help nature to survive, thus we have to protect our environment, especially those “vulnerable objects” which consist our natural values.

The most common or traditional form of learning nature is through formal education in specialized institutions (schools, colleges, universities), and outside formal education through the media, internet, exhibitions, natural museums, protected natural areas, information centres and boards, ecotourism and different outdoor activities. The LENA project is part of the non-formal learning activities addressed particularly to adult learners who are interested in being outdoors, and learning nature there, and who should be aware of the environmental issues that the humanity has to face in the 21st century and who are willing to change their attitude towards nature and learn more about nature through various methods.

Argument

The purpose of this special curriculum is to help people (organisations, institutes, individuals, adult learning centres, advisory platforms, etc.) who are interested in outdoor learning for adult learners, and who wish to plan or implement their learning events, or to provide learning examples, good practices and learning tools for different learning events in this field. The present document is a guide and a collection of good practices which have been implemented through the Grundtvig learning partnership project named LENA – Learning natural values in Europe, an European project approved with the following reference number 2012-1-EE1-GRU06-03622, between 2012-2014. The project partners are associations, experts in the field of nature protection and other nature-related activities. In this project they have involved a large group of learners with different background and age, all interested in outdoor learning (learning nature).

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