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focused on all societal groups, including children, youth, adults
and seniors. A variety of tools were used, such as educational,
cultural and sporting activities, to explain all aspects of forestry
and work in forests as well as their societal importance. An
example of specifically focused activities was the special effort
made to break a national record by collecting as many handprints
as possible to express public support for the messages of Forests
2011.
An exhibition on the importance of contributions provided by
forests and forestry to society, held in the Slovak Parliament, can
be considered as a principal action of Forests 2011 in Slovakia. It
was accompanied by relevant communication activities, such as
press conferences and dissemination of information.
Forest-related environmental education (forest pedagogics)
forms an integral part of the activities of Forests 2011 in Slovakia.
Using various methods of learning about forest ecosystems, it is
aimed at educating people about the benefits of sustainable forest
management. Activities are carried out by certified forest peda-
gogues and are mainly targeted at children and youth. Forest
pedagogics not only provides knowledge but also supports the
holistic development of the human personality. It uses methods
of learning that demonstrate how the partnership between
people and nature can function to benefit both. Educators use
very diverse types of activities, such as organizing excursions in
forests, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, educational and art
competitions, summer outdoor camps, planting trees, building
educational paths and printing information brochures and leaflets.
To increase environmental awareness and improve understanding
and perception of forestry by the broad public is a key objective
of forest pedagogics in Slovakia.
Forest pedagogics on the ground
Image: L’. Marušáková
Public awareness and education in the Slovak
National Forest Programme
The NFP Action Plan includes measures for the
development and application of a system of advisory
services in forestry, as well as of a comprehensive
system of lifelong learning for forest owners, managers
and workers in forestry, with the aim of contributing
to the development of a knowledge-based economy.
It promotes the certification of forests and of a wood-
based chain of custody for society.
Elaborating and implementing a comprehensive
strategy for public relations activities is an important
goal, in order to improve coordination and cooperation
amongst forest and ‘non-forest’ organizations. This
requires improvements to the institutional framework,
including funding, to enable public relations activities
for the forestry and related sectors. Activities have been
implemented at a national level since 2007-2010,
including:
• A proposed national strategy for public relations and
communication in forestry
• Establishment of an expert working group on
communication in forestry
• Development and operation of new internet sites on
forests and forestry
• Media communication on forest events, forestry and
forests through press releases, press conferences,
media trips, articles in papers and magazines and
interviews with forestry experts on national and
regional television
• National events during European Forest Week 2008
• Annual ‘National Forest Days’.