300 students from high schools in Dărmănești, Comănești and Moinești started an unusual environmental education program, based on an experiential and interactive learning concept developed by the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation.
The Forest School, the environmental education concept of the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation, has started a tour of duty in Bacău county: 12 classes from the Technological High School in Darmănești, Dimitrie Ghika Technical College in Comănești and Grigore Cobălcescu Technical College in Moinești are beginning to discover the role of forests in the lives of communities – and, at the same time, the role of communities in the protection and management of forests.
In the first part of the programme, we invited the children to find out how the needs of the forest and the needs of people are intertwined, and how the well-being of communities depends on the state of forests: healthy forests mean thriving communities, and these, in turn, are the best guardians and stewards of the surrounding nature.
The Forest School’s interactive workshops (28 February – 3 March) challenged students to discover, plan, find solutions and negotiate – all, essential skills in a community managing its green gold.
“The most important thing for us is to generate action,”
said Mihail Caradaica, executive director of the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation.
“The challenge we gave to the children is to do something for nature and for the community – to plant trees, to collect the waste that is suffocating the environment in their town or village, to get involved for change. We propose that they broaden their horizons a bit and take on, playfully but also seriously, the role they will have when they become the adults of a community gifted with forests – as are the communities on the Trotuș River valley.”
At the end of March, guided tours will begin in the forests of Bacău county, where students will continue exploring the topics discussed in class and will see nature – and foresters – at work.
By the end of May, students must present the activities they have completed, and 14 students from each high school will be selected for the grand prize: a camp at the Richita Activities and Nature Exploration Center, in Argeș county.
The project is carried out with the support of HS Baco Panels (Comănești), part of the HS Timber group.
“The strategic partnership of HS Baco Panels with the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation comes naturally, in line with our principles of social responsibility. On this occasion, we combine education with the care for the environment,”
said Alexandru Agache, director of HS Baco Panels.
“Through this project we want to provide high school students with additional learning opportunities and experiences, that will give them a correct, informed view of what the forest means, broaden their horizons of knowledge, take action and in turn inspire them the ones around. Investing in younger generations shapes responsible and healthy communities.”
We would like to thank the teaching staff who coordinate the students in the three high schools for their support and involvement: Ionela Olaru and Maria Asandei (Dărmănești Technological High School), Roxana Țîncu and Mihaela Vîrcolici (Dimitrie Ghika Technical College in Comănești), Daniela Andrioaie and Vasile Pârvu (Grigore Cobălcescu Technical College Moinești). See more images on our Facebook page: Dărmănești, Comănești, Moinești.
