More than 20 simulation games and toys were designed and published by Moscow State University in the 1980s and 1990s. Kavtaradze and his colleagues have designed special simulation games to help inspectors fight against poachers and have worked extensively with environmental CSOs. In post-communist society environmental organisations are more fragmented and must learn to work effectively together and promote themselves better, he adds. Moreover, CSOs could achieve better results for the environment if they worked with other experts such as scientists, engineers and transport specialists. Participants from different expert fields and CSO backgrounds can play the game, which involves building a fictional community, complete with amenities such as power stations or an airport, on an untouched area of land.
Students learn that some animals, such as the weasel, are more crucial to nature than others.
If man or natural disasters wipe out a large amount of the lower value cards of grass and mice, the weasel is unable to survive. Making the step from playing classroom games is the most difficult. Kavtaradze hopes to prepare his students adequately to make that leap into reality.