Nature Centres and Environmental Interpretation in the Baltic Sea Region

The vision of the BSR EAGLE project is to improve the role and contribution of nature centres and environmental interpretation as a part of the society’s strengthening of sustainable development through education and public participation in relation to protection of environment, natural, cultural and social values and health of the public. To realise this 49 institutions, mostly public and NGOs, from the 10 BSR countries during 3 years will carry out an extensive programme of activities in co-operation between partners, other colleagues and stakeholders. 1. Nature centres (NCs, nature schools, museums and exhibitions with EI service for schools and visitors) and environmental interpretation (EI, like education, guiding and activities for children, families and adults, most often outdoors) have developed in BSR during the last 50 years, but in particular in the last 10-20 years in parts of the region. 2. The project aims at contribution to solutions on the situation, that public attitudes to environmental problems and policies often are lacking understanding of ecological processes, that sustainable development often is seen as a limitation to development of present welfare, and that public participation in decision making in relation to spatial and regional planning often is insufficient. It aims at improvement of policies and behaviour of the citizens, institutions, etc., and better understanding of human impact on and dependency of ecological processes, and of sustainable development and spatial planning as important preconditions for environmental protection and socio-economic life. 3. The project is directed towards strengthening of institutional development and capacity building of NCs and EI and more equal distribution of NCs and EI in BSR. It will focus on trans-sectoral and trans-national co-operation, innovation of methods, and exchange of best practise related to information, education, public participation and decision-making. 4. The project activities will consist of strategic planning of NCs and EI, pilot-projects on establishment of new and improvement of existing nature centres, activities and trans-sectoral co-operation, trans-national and national exchange on best practise on environmental interpretation, training of NC staff members and environmental interpreters, and dissemination of project results, information and marketing of NCs and EI in BSR. 5. The outcome of these activities will be a capacity lift of NCs and EI in BSR, of partners and other institutions and staffs via dissemination, seminars, training courses etc. The NCs and environmental interpreters will play a more competent role and contribute to improvements on sustainable development of the society.