Last week, when children enjoyed their spring break, teachers, who are thirsty for knowledge, visited the LVM Nature Park in Tērvete. The possibility to learn about the offered activities of the LVM environmental education programme “Learning about Forest” for preschool and primary school students and interest group was used by 62 teachers from Tukums and its municipality, Jelgava and Tinūži.
Teachers checked out the creative environmental workshop’s offer of the always-busy Dwarf family – three rooms of Dwarf knowledge – one with practical activities, making wax candle and a decoration, second with nature stories and sounds, but the third with a little romping and games together with Dwarf guest, the Cat, who showed that everything looks different in the dark.
Then teachers went to the Green Classroom where they got to know a specially designed part of the park for forest environment education. In the Green Classroom the environmental experts of Nature Park in Tērvete introduced teachers with three different education lessons and showed forest education infrastructure created in nature. Teachers got to know the trail of forest friends and not-friends, competed in a math lesson in the Wood trail, tested their knowledge in the Animal trail by learning about forest as a natural system, which needs a smart and modern management.
The several hours that were spent learning in nature, actively participating, learning the secrets of Dwarf life and about sustainable and rational management of forest, and about the active recreation possibilities in Nature Park in Tērvete felt just like a moment.
Inita Mazdūre, Education chief specialist of Jelgava educational administration of Jelgava City Council, after environmental education lessons in Nature Park in Tērvete said: “The professional team of LVM Nature Park in Tērvete introduced us, the deputies of education of Jelgava City director, with new, multiform and thoughtful environmental education activities that are offered for various age children. The daily educational process usually is very intense, not always there is enough time and other resources to offer practical activities for children in classes. These environmental education activities allow both preschool and schoolchildren to actively participate and in an exciting way learn mathematics, nature sciences, physics and other subjects, and also to understand why we have to take care of sustainability of environment. And what can be more exciting than combining classes with a possibility to be in fresh air.”
However, teachers from Tukums city and municipality noted that Nature Park in Tērvete has thought about educational information and wonderful recreational possibilities for all ages and for different tastes, they have learned a lot of new things. “Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the practical lesson!” says teachers from Tukums city and municipality.
The LVM Nature Park in Tērvete is developing into an environmental education centre for children by encouraging them to study in nature, to be active and learn about the unusual within the usual!