KORNATI – IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SEA 7.

The goal of the KORNATI – IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SEA 7 project is to strengthen awareness of the value of nature, specifically the Kornati Islands, through educational programs, conducting educational ecological workshops for children on the topic of biological diversity and sea protection, and running a small eco-school called the Murter Eco-Patrol, as weekly extracurricular activities for children of primary school age.

Component I.: Educational programs on the subject of the Kornati Islands

During the educational trip to Kornati National Park, children will be shown the importance of nature protection through topics from geology, terrestrial and marine biology, cultural and historical heritage, and a demonstration of field-research work in marine biology. In the execution of educational programs, we will include children with developmental difficulties and gifted children in the same groups and in this way create a new attitude towards diversity and encourage their mutual support. The past practice of trips conducted in this way has shown a high level of interest among children, and the workshops have resulted in a high level of education and socialization.

Component II.: Eco Wednesday, a workshop for children of preschool age and lower grades of elementary school

Through this project, we would organize the systematic education of children in preschool and elementary school age-related to the protection of nature, and the environment, with an emphasis on the marine environment, and all with the purpose of educating children from an early age in order to raise awareness of the importance of preserving their homeland and create little ecologists from the earliest days which will make positive changes in society. The workshops will take place once a week and will be free for participants. Cooperation will be established with kindergartens and primary schools, and a young person who has been a volunteer of the Argonauta Association for many years and who has the knowledge and skills to work with young people will be hired to work with children. The newly hired young person will be assisted by an Argonauta employee, and international volunteers will help in the implementation of the workshops.

Component III.: Argonauta’s Eco-Patrol

As part of the project, we will employ a young person or a person with appropriate volunteer experience, on a contract basis for the work. This person will be the Head of the small eco-school “Argonauta’s Eco-Patrol”. The eco patrol will be held once a week on the premises of the Vodice elementary school or outdoors, depending on the weather, and will be intended for a mixed group of elementary school-age students from the Vodice elementary school. As part of the project and in cooperation with a partner and collaborating organizations (JU NP Kornati and Elementary School Vodice), the leader will develop the existing educational program, which will be interdisciplinary (biology, geography, ecology) and will contain 50% field work (coastal cleaning actions, dolphin watching, maintaining a marine aquarium, maintaining a small collection of invertebrates, bird watching, observing and solving environmental problems in the local community, etc.).

GOALS: The main goal of the project is to strengthen awareness of the value of nature, specifically the Kornati Islands. Individual goals: * informing and educating children and young people about the values of Kornati islands; * enrichment of extracurricular activities for children with developmental disabilities; *inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in the regular process of extracurricular learning intended for children without difficulties; *strengthening the cooperation of different organizations (intrasectoral and intersectoral) *strengthening the awareness of other target groups and the wider public about values of the Kornati Islands and marine biodiversity of the Adriatic Sea, *establishment of continuous year-round extracurricular activities - Eco-patrols as a step towards establishing systematic education for nature and the environment;

USERS: Children and youth of Šibenik-Knin County

PARTNERS: Municipality of Murter-Kornati, Primary School Vodice, Kindergarten Spužvica, Tisno, Center for Education Šubićevac Šibenik, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Association Aurora, Šibenik, Association Kamenčići Šibenik, JU NP Kornati.

DONORS: Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia

DURATION: 13.10.2022.-31.08.2022.

BUDGET: 120.374,11