Educational programs in croatian protected areas – examples from Lika region

Abstract

Although the protection of nature is the most important task in the protected areas, their scentific, cultural, estethic and educational values are also promoted. Therefore, some educational programs, especially for school children, are organised in many protected areas. In this paper some programs for school children in Lika region are presented: National parks Plitvice lakes and North Velebit, in Nature park Velebit and in Cave park Grabovača (Risovac-Grabovača significant landscape area). In those protected areas, their natural characteristics and values are highlighted through educational programs, with special emphasis on forms of karst relief like caves. They are presented to visitors in order to familiarize with the meaning and protection of certain ecosystems for future generations. The aim of this paper is to analyse educational programs that are implemented in the mentioned protected areas and to point out their importance for school population during education, with an emphasis on programs for pupils of primary classes. Some examples and programs that are organised in these areas like outdoor school, suitable workshops, field work are also presented.