Environmental Education as Means to Conserve Amur tiger INTERIM REPORT PHOENIX FUND 30 June 2011 Vladivostok Environmental Education as Means to Conserve Amur tiger January 1st 2011 – June 30th 2011 priorities and to affect regional and Project Background transnational actions in favour of conservation and recovery of wild tigers and their habitats. Increasing public awareness of tiger conservation issues, creating incentives for local people to protect tigers and strengthening wildlife law enforcement and legislation are vital to achieve the ambitious St. Petersburg targets. We believe that conflicts occurring between tigers and local communities can © Phoenix be reduced by involving local people more actively in biodiversity protection. One of Amur tiger possible ways to preserve tigers in Russia Wild tiger numbers are down to only is to build up social consciousness of the 3,200, with scattered populations across need to protect wild tigers. We should 13 countries having lost more than 93 % of encourage the positive side of having wild their historic range. Just 100 years ago, an tigers in our forest, organize tiger estimated 100,000 tigers roamed across festivals and other cultural activities Asia. In 2010, the Year of the Tiger in the associated with tigers. "Having an Chinese lunar calendar, representatives of endangered species in our country should 13 tiger range countries gathered in St. be a good thing, something people can be Petersburg, Russia, to pledge support for the tiger. The International Tiger Forum marked the first time an international summit has been convened to focus on a single, non-human species. The participants signed a declaration aimed at doubling tigers worldwide by 2022 and a Global Tiger Recovery Programme integrating National Tiger Recovery Priorities, developed by the 13 tiger range countries, and several Global Support Environmental Education as Means to Conserve Amur tiger | 30.06.2011 | 30.06.2011 tiger Amur Conserve to asMeans Education Environmental Programmes to support the national © Phoenix Red deer 1 proud of, not something to avoid," said mostly on the Russian people, especially Sergei Bereznuk, director of the Phoenix those living within the tiger habitat. This Fund. “Governments can spend great deal requires involvement of the public, which of money for law enforcement activities, can be achieved through continuous but these efforts will go for nothing ecological education and outreach without proper education of the younger activities in the region. The main long- generation”. term objective of our education and outreach efforts in Krasnoarmeisky st Thanks to support from the 21 Century district of Primorye is to reduce poaching Tiger, we have started implementing a and habitat destruction in the Amur tiger project aimed at conserving Amur tigers in range. Our main target groups are local Krasnoarmeisky district of Primorsky krai1 villagers and especially schoolchildren, by focusing on environmental education because it is easier to influence children’s of local people through holding ecological mentality than that of adults. lessons at schools and kindergartens, attracting local people towards tiger Besides supporting the Eco-Tourism and conservation issues and involving them in Environmental Education Department of nature conservation events. the Udege Legend National Park, Phoenix Krasnoarmeysky district is an also has been assisting local educators administrative and municipal district who are concerned about the total located in the central part of Primorye. environment and its associated problems Novopokrovka town is its administrative and willing to create a citizenry that is centre. The district is home to Amur tigers aware of and concerned about the and other rare and endangered species. ecological issues, and which has the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Nature Reserve is knowledge, attitude, motivations, in the eastern part of the district. Also, commitment and skills to work there is Udege Legend National Park individually and collectively toward recently established there. solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones. Since 2007 when the Udege Legend National Park was established the Phoenix In 2003, a Tiger eco-centre was set up in Fund has been assisting the Park to Novopokrovka town, administrative protect the unique nature. Environmental centre of Krasnoarmeisky district. The education was always one of the key eco-centre in Novopokrovka town can be methods in fighting ecological crimes in considered a model one, as a really the Park and adjacent areas through devoted educator has been working for organizing nature-oriented events to raise five years there, and we can observe how environmental awareness among local her efforts gain people’s confidence. people. Saving the Amur tiger depends Valeria Nazarova, who runs the eco- centre, not only visits the town schools 1 Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a and invites schoolchildren to the centre federal subject of Russia. Primorsky means "maritime" in for eco-classes, but also makes regular Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as trips to small village schools in tiger Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Primorsky Krai, bordered by China, North Korea, and waters of the Sea of range. Also, Valeria closely cooperates Japan, is the southeasternmost region of Russia, located with Eco-Tourism and Environmental between 42° and 48° north latitude and 130° and 139° east | 30.06.2011 tiger Amur Conserve to asMeans Education nvironmental E longitude. Education Department of the Udege 2 Legend National Park through giving joint tiger prey species, and etc. It is planned eco-classes and organizing nature- to hold the second stage of the survey in oriented events, such as excursion, hiking, December 2011, during which Valeria summer camp, etc. Such collaboration Nazarova will conduct an opinion poll helps foster positive people’s attitudes among the schoolchildren who towards the Park, promote the role of participated in the first stage in January. protected areas, and attract more The results will be compared with the adherents, who are concerned with the ones received in January in order to current state of nature, to conservation assess any changes in children’s efforts. knowledge. Below we present our results achieved from January through June 2011 in terms of the Amur tiger conservation project that combines conservation-oriented ecological education and outreach activities for children and adults of the region. Project Activities © Phoenix 1. Eco-classes in Tiger eco-centre, Valeria Nazarova gives an eco-lesson Novopokrovka town and schools in remote villages of Krasnoarmeisky st th From January 1 to June 30 2011 the district educator gave 110 lessons for 2,231 In January 2011, the Phoenix Fund children and 129 adults. elaborated jointly with Michiel Hötte of In January, the educator carried out 16 WCS-Russia Program a questionnaire to events, including lessons and contests, for hold a survey in order to evaluate the 243 children and 21 adults. change in children’s knowledge of Amur tiger conservation issues and attitude From January 11 to January 20, the towards this endangered species. The educator gave a lesson “Our Votes Are for survey represented 10 questions about Healthy Lifestyle!” Over 150 children and 9 tiger. Valeria Nazarova, experienced tutor adults attended the lesson during which of the Tiger eco-centre in Novopokrovka, the attendees discussed hazards of conducted a survey at classes where she smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages never gave lessons devoted to Amur tiger as well as pernicious influence of drags. before. Then, the educator started her The educator told the audience about course of lessons addressing the main ingredients of beer, vodka and following topics: the current state of champagne and informed about toxic Amur tiger population, Amur tiger substances tobacco contains. In the end conservation issues, tiger habitat and of the lesson the educator emphasized Environmental Education as Means to Conserve Amur tiger | 30.06.2011 | 30.06.2011 tiger Amur Conserve to asMeans Education Environmental anthropogenic influence, protection of that people’s lifestyle affects the 3 environment. All the attendees came to a towards tigers. The lesson was based on conclusion that nobody needs drags. The the recent incident occurred in lesson was finished with the following Krasnoarmeisky district when a hunter words: “Let’s put an end to drags forever, was attacked by a tiger. The educator our world is a big family! It mostly explained the main reasons for tiger’s depends on us if our family is sick or attack and mistakes a man does during his healthy!” encounter with a striped predator. Then, the children learned about methods used to prevent tiger’s attacks and to frighten a predator away in case of an incidental meeting. In the end, the children concluded that human is not a master of taiga, and in this connection he must be courteous, careful and attentive when walking in the woodland. He must not introduce new rules for forest dwellers, but obey their rules. At this rate his chances to get into trouble significantly reduce. In February, the educator conducted 17 lessons for 287 children. On February 14-17 and 21, six lessons devoted to forest dwellers were given to 84 children aged 5-9. The teacher began the lessons with riddles about wild animals living in the Ussuriiskaya taiga. © Phoenix Then, the children discussed how animals An exhibition of children’s paintings at the survive winter and watched a cartoon “In eco-centre the thickets” about habits and appearance of wild animals. After On January 21 and 24, the educator held a watching the cartoon, the teacher asked lesson for twenty-six kindergarten the audience to name animals they saw children aged 5-6. During the lesson the and offered to play a game “Guess an kids watched “ecological” cartoons. The Animal”. At the end of the lesson the educator used cartons about wild animals children discussed how they could help to foster positive attitude among the animals and birds survive winter.