Forestpedagogy in Finland Sirpa Kärkkäinen Finnish Forest Association

2 National Forest Program and PEFC According to the National Forest Program and Forest Certification System (PEFC) the regional networks have to make local programmes to increase the knowledge of forests among children and youngsters set the targets and the actions at the local level

Goals of forestpedagogy are reached through a wide network Associations of Biology and Georgaphy Teachers Association of Promary School Teachers and Kindergarten Teachers National Board of Education Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners Finnish Forest Industries Federation Finnish Forest Research Institute Forest Centres Forestry Developement Centre Tapio UPM, Stora-Enso, Metsäliitto Metsähallitus – State Forest Enterprise Hunters’ Central Organisation Central Association for Recreational Sports and Outdoor Activities Representatives of Environmental Education The Association of Finnish Wood Industry Technicians and Engineers The Finnish 4H Federation Environmental organisation Luonto- Liitto WWF- Finland

Activities for schools are free of charge Exampes of Activities for schools forest days for individual school classes and schools forest weeks for schools of individual towns, municipalities excursions to the forests and mills Examples of Activities for teachers forest courses congresses courses in forestry for students studying in the Faculty of Education Materials for teaching

The 9 th Forest week in Helsinki A concept for a forestday The theme is Rotation of Forest It’s difficult for teachers to teach 1000 pupils with their teachers in 4 days They spend 3 hours in the woods Transport is provided by companies, forest owners and the Finnish Forest Foundation To the forest!

In the School before the Excursion The pupils and the teachers get familiar with the theme. We have sent them a booklet with exercises a game like Alias. The words to be explained are connected to forestry and woods. The pupils start to prepear in small groups a presentation. They think questions they want to find answers during the excursion. We ask the pupils to fill up a questionnaire in Internet to test their knowledge before the trip to find out what are their feelings of the forest trip in beforehand

A Guided tour in the woods The Guides are forest students from the University of Helsinki and Novia University of Applied Sciences Nature guide students from a Vocational school HYRIA

Surprisingly many of the daily life products contain wood - Forest Industries, Students Ec Exhibition Quess which of the products does not contain wood?

How and when does a tree grow? - students

How old are this trees?

The forest is tended from the very beginning During the tour pupils and teachers meet many kinds of people, who work in the forest City of Helsinki – forest department

Thinning task - Forest Centre The principles of thinning The trees are marked by letters Choose the trees you would fell. The letters of those trees will form a name of a famous band 12

Collecting data for the groupworks Photos Video clips Interviews Find answers 13

Regeneration felling – UPM, Stora Enso, Metsäliitto is the most facinating checkpoint Take time: how fast the harvester fells, limbs and cuts a tree?

Planting trees - Guides Is also one of the most popular activities An important message is, that after felling trees the forest owner has to take care of the afforestation. It’s easier to remember when you also do it.

Biodiversity- a Forest is also a home for invisible, small organisms and … - WWF -Finland

…and big organisms – Hunters asociation 17

At the end of the day Making a souvenier from the trip – 4H THE BEST is to have a picnic 18

A happy Guest returns to the School… 19

…and the the theme continues finnish the presentations in the groups make an exibition in the school We give a poster which helps to remind the tour in the forest We ask the pupils to fill up a questionnaire in the Internet to test their knowledge after the trip to find out what are their feelings after the forest trip

Young people’s Perceptions of Nature, Forestry and Forest linked Work An Interview Survey ( year old boys and girls) Conclusion: Very basic knowledge is needed They think that dectruction of forests is reality in Finland and Europe They have a very narrow understanding o what wood and chemicals of wood are used for o what kind of occupations are linked to forests and woodbased products o the importance of forest in our well beeing and health 21

22 Metsä puhuu - Forest speaks A communications project for promoting the reputation of forestry and its attractiveness as a profession in Finland

Social media a fresh way to be in contact and discuss

Videos in Youtube of young people, whose work in a way or other is linked to the forests 24

25 Slogan Using forests will save the world!