CLASSROOM IN THE WILD NATURE OF VODLOZERO: EXPERIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Authors: Melnik Eleonora L. , Gudym Alla Y. 
Published: May 2021

In the process of new personal consciousness formation it is very important to understand the necessity of development of new public conception of the environment as of a common sphere for society and nature, which means understanding significance of sustainable development of nature and society. Extracurricular environmental education implemented in the “Vodlozersky” National park helps to promote environmental knowledge of native region and fosters development of knowledge and skills for living and working in the environment. The content of educational programmes was divided into separate topics: “Avifauna of Vedlozero islands”, “Predators on the swamp”, “Vodlozero lichens”, “Mushroom hunting”, “Green pharmacy” and others. As an example we suggest one of the lessons devoted to “Avifauna of Velikostrov Island” from the topic “Avifauna of Vedlozero islands”. It took much time for schoolchildren to get the skills in birds’ identification. Teachers and schoolchildren analyzed everything they saw and heard, made conclusions, wrote down their observations. As a result of fieldwork the expedition participants have managed to learn to recognize different kinds of birds in the nature of the National park.
Schoolchildren expressed special interest while getting to know the life of invertebrates of the water reservoir: “Microcosmos in a drop of water”. The integrative approach lied in combination of methods of Japanese paper art of Origami used to represent generalized image of a bird. With the help of natural materials such as dry grass, flowers, branches, soil, moss, stones, etc. schoolchildren constructed the models of biocenosis. They created a meadow and semi-aquatic lake world. In biocenosis models birds and plants made of paper were settled in their natural habitats. In painting the images of nature schoolchildren were offered to use natural materials: pollen from plants, flower petals, sand and stones. Students also showed interest to such lessons as “Epics of Vedlozero” and “Ethnography and Toponymy of Vedlozero”. On the territory of the National park there are special “marks” of the ancient ethnic group of population – vodlozery. These are commemorative trees – Karsikko. Students got to know about their origin and significance for vedlozery from conversation with the teacher on ecological trail. Knowledge acquired on these lessons allowed schoolchildren to express their creativity in making dolls – spirits of the wood and lake. To generalize knowledge about nature students of expedition camp made a trip along the ecological trail with the length of 1420 meters. The trail lied on the landscape consisting of different biocenosis: meadows, a sector of old forest, swamp. Walking along the trail they got acquainted with new representatives of flora and fauna – forest ants, poisonous and medical plants of swamp and forest. On one of the swamp sectors there was found carnivorous plant - (Drosera rotundifolia L). Having caught small dipterous insects students managed to feed this plant and observe the process of food capturing.
Experience of ecological expedition camps organization allowed teachers and scientists for the first time to realize the work with children with special needs in the wild nature. As children had vision problems of different severity the teachers developed special educational programmes for them which included maximum use of their hearing, smell and touching. It was important to teach the children to identify the sounds of nature: voice of birds, insects, rustle of grass and reeds. But they also had the trips to the world of nature. They learnt to identify different kinds of plants – to feel them (touching the plants with their hands and face, palming), to recognize and remember the smell of spicy plants. For kids with mild form of visual pathology teachers tried to use all senses in working in nature but for a short period of time.
Analysis of comments left by children by the end of expedition shows that they prefer communication with each other to communication with nature. In accordance with the goals set by the specialists of the National park it is necessary to implement practical lessons in nature involving schoolchildren into them in more active forms. Integration of scientific, artistic, aesthetic and humanitarian knowledge into coherent whole for cognition of nature will allow develop sustainable motivation for nature protection among children in the future. Primary educational experience of National park specialists in working with disabled children showed that such children may have unlimited possibilities to communicate with nature.