First cycle of the WWF Nature Academy in the Research Center Petnica in Serbia

Reaching the secure and sustainable future by means of educating children about the importance of nature conservation
Valjevo, Serbia – WWF, World Wildlife Fund launched the first cycle of the program “WWF Academy of Nature” from 18 to 22 October 2016 in the Petnica Research Center.
The Academy, which is part of the WWF project “Protected areas for nature and people”, is designed so that teachers and students from 10 primary and secondary schools from across the country can learn how to live in a sustainable manner and actively and creatively protect the nature, and they will also become and ambassadors of one of the five protected areas covered by the project.

Participants of the Academy will work during the whole school year with managers of protected areas or National Parks Fruška gora, Đerdap and Tara, Special Nature Reserve Upper Danube and the Area of Exceptional Quality Avala, to promote their natural and cultural values.
„We are honored that we have launched the first cycle of the WWF Academy of nature that will involve teachers a and students in the protection of nature by means of the number of creative educational activities, but also remind them that the nature itself is the largest school that still has a lot to teach us,” said Sonja Bađura, program coordinator for education of the WWF in Serbia. Bađura pointed out that she was particularly pleased by a large number of entries from schools across Serbia, which would, if not during the course of this year, be included in some of the next cycles of the Academy.
The program of the Academy includes topics that will, among other things, concern the protected areas, their importance for people and nature, the environmental blueprint, or lifestyle and the impact of humans on nature, as well as the participation of citizens in the preservation of nature.
WWF Academy of nature is part of the educational component of the big regional project “Protected areas for nature and people”, which was launched in October 2015 and will last until October 2019, and it is designed to enhance communication with the local community, its inclusion in management of protected areas, and to develop educational programs for children, and tourist offer that will improve visitors influx and development of the protected areas.
The Project „Protected areas for nature and people“ is implemented in Serbia in cooperation with National Parks Tara, Đerdap, Fruška Gora and PE „Srbijašume“ and PE „Vojvodinašume“, and it is financed by the Sweden International Development Agency – Sida.