Into the wild

With the beginning of July 2014 Centre of Environmental Activities “Źródła” in cooperation with Naturalists' Club began new educational project "Into the wild", where we encourage children, teachers, parents and educators to go outdoor and we train teachers and educators in leading outdoor nature activities using experimental, empirical forest education methods.

Phases of the project:

  • Conference dedicated to outdoor education; held in Spała, 27-28th of September 2014, 95 participants who were interested in innovative methods of outdoor education took part
  • Training of Trainers for Nature Education; held in Spała, 27th of September - 4th of October 2014, 30 future "outdoor trainers" took part
  • 3-days outdoor trainings for teachers; took place in the fall of 2014, spring 2015 and spring 2016; we organised 11 trainings, 217 teachers from 13 regions (voivodeships) took part.
  • Cycle of five - 5h outdoor workshop for pupils conducted by trainers and teachers; held in spring 2015, 2730 children from 139 classes took part.
  • Forests Schools - 5 days excursion with intensive nature - ecological programme for 10 groups who won the contest. Forests Schools took place in the fall of 2015 in Zawadka Rymanowska, Rytebłota, Podlesice and Duszniki Zdrój, 211 pupils took part in it. Additionally 552 pupils from 28 groups took part in forest schools' workshops in spring 2016.
  • Publishing handbook promoting outdoor education with example activities.
  • Closing conference; held in Podlesice, 27-28th of February 2016, 90 participants took part.
  • Seminars disseminating effects of the project with film screening and book distribution; held in spring 2016, 186 participants took part.

The Centre for Environmental Activities "Źródła" is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate students, teachers, and the general public about local environmental issues, and to expand their capacity to act for a more sustainable Poland. The members of Źródła believe that it is important not only to work directly in conservation and welfare efforts, but to install in people a love for their surroundings and their fellow inhabitants. In doing this they ensure that their work will be carried on and expanded for future generations. Zrodla was founded in 1993, as a branch of the Interacademic Ecological Lobby and was registered as an association in February, 1997. It has a status of "public benefit organization" (OPP) which is Polish equivalent of 501(c)(3) code. The association is based in Lodz, Warsaw and Krakow.

Naturalists' Club is an independent, non-governmental organization working in the field of nature conservation and environmental education. The organization is active in whole Poland, especially in its western and northern part. It was established in Świebodzin (Lubuskie Voivodeship). At first the main area of organization’s activities was connected with Lubuskie Land. Until February it held the name Lubusier Naturalist’s Club (Lubuski Klub Przyrodników). The Club leads varied activities, e.g. collects data about nature in Poland, publishes books: scientific quarterly “Nature Review” (Przegląd Przyrodniczy), bulletin "Bociek" and holds an Internet bookstore. The Club makes nature inventories, does researches, gives expert opinions, develops conservation plans and methods, organizes trips and workshops, runs nature museums, breeds sheep etc