Elena Knizhnikova about friends of protected islands and environmental education

— First of all, tell us what kind of islands these are?

— This is a figurative name for protected areas. If you look at the map of our country, you will see that protected areas in each region are like islands of wildlife.

Our movement was created by the eco-center “Reserves” – a public organization that appeared 30 years ago to train employees of environmental education departments in protected areas. We have created the profession of environmental education in protected areas – before this it did not exist in our country. It appeared after the publication of Federal Law No. 33 “On Specially Protected Natural Areas” in 1995. It was first formulated in it that protected areas are not only scientific and environmental institutions, but also environmental educational institutions, and from this moment we count the history of environmental education.

Six years ago we created the charitable educational foundation “Reserve Embassy”, and it became a link between protected areas and business companies, local residents, and tourists. The Foundation finds resources for species restoration, scientific and educational projects, helps employees of natural areas in difficult situations and in professional development, cooperates with many countries, studies their experience, collects the best practices in the world, and promotes the achievements of our reserve system.

— Do you see the results of such work?

— There are three options for the effect of the eco-educator. The first option is immediate, when a child or adult became interested, liked it, and learned something. This is usually a “knowing” effect. The second effect is “relational” and more long-term: for example, people visited the reserve and fell in love with it. And then a “behavioral” effect may arise: having learned about the problems of the protected area, they decided to help it, implement projects, and created a club of friends. There is a fourth long-term effect that we dream about: that these people will then come to work in protected areas or become their friends and partners.

– That is, so that everyone goes into your profession?

– This is not at all necessary.

You can go into any profession, but at the same time, “their” reserve will always remain in their heart.

Over the 30 years of our work – of which the movement of friends of protected islands is already 25 – we see several generations of guys who come to work in reserves, and sometimes they say: “We were at your rallies and festivals 10, 20 years ago, we are friends of such and such a reserve.” They are already adults, mature people, they have children, and they continue to think environmentally and help nature.

— We are talking with you during the “Inhalation” festival in Pitsunda, where the Pitsunda-Mussersky Nature Reserve is located.

— Yes, that’s absolutely right, and the director of this reserve, Sabina Loboda, is participating in our program. This is a very beautiful reserve, which also protects relict Pitsunda pines, which are now listed in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Russia. Our general idea is very simple: to preserve a natural area, you need local residents to love it and become its friends.

— What are friends in relation to nature?

– In any respect, friends are forever. If, for example, a person once came to help at a cleanup day, he is a volunteer. And if he does something for nature every day, then he is her friend.

Caring for nature as your home becomes a way of life.

Friendship fills our lives with love, warmth, and co-creativity. Our movement is joined by clubs of friends of protected areas of different areas of activity and participants of different ages throughout the country. These could be children’s clubs, school teams, family, corporate teams, “silver” volunteers…

— What are “silver” volunteers? Older people?

– Yes. This is an association of people who have already retired, but are young at heart, active and want to help. For example, we have a very active team of such volunteers – friends of the Utrish Nature Reserve.

— In the same Utrish Nature Reserve, they told me that children are also very active. They tell their parents: “Why did you rip it off? Why did you take the turtle? Put it back.” And the parents feel ashamed.

— Yes, by educating from a young age, we form an ecological culture and thinking and at the same time influence adults through children. Our dream is for every citizen in our country to become a friend of nature. We have a slogan: “Learn, love, keep.” A person must be aware that there are natural areas near him that need protection, visit them, feel them, love them – and want to preserve them. In world practice, national parks are often a source of pride for people.

It is very important to explain how to live in harmony with nature, how to protect it and how not to cause so-called good to it.

-What do you mean?

“For example, if you find a fledgling, a chick that is getting on its wing, you don’t need to pick it up or try to save it. He grew up, his mother pushed him out of the nest, and then people came running and took him away from his parents. You don’t have to do that.

Or, for example, now in the Black Sea there is an active stranding of dolphins on the shore. You can’t push them back into the water. It is important to immediately call specialists – contact the Delphi rescue center in the Krasnodar Territory or the Serene Sea in Crimea. They will advise you on what to do and provide first aid to the animals themselves.

In the Anapa area, tourists very often take home Nikolsky’s Red Book turtles, thinking that they will be good pets. Unfortunately, turtles get sick and die in captivity because homes cannot provide them with the necessary living conditions – and this is the case with most wild animals.

Another important point that you should not forget about when being in nature: it is better to walk along equipped eco-trails so as not to disturb fragile ecosystems. And carry the food you take with you in vacuum containers so as not to attract wild animals with the smell of food.

– But some people feed them on purpose…

— This is the saddest thing that is now coming with the development of domestic tourism in Russia. As a result, wild animals learn: where there is a person, there is food. And they come to people in villages and even cities.

Wildlife should remain wild, animals should not be taught to use what humans provide, because they will forget how to get food naturally.

So a tourist came, left food, and then the animal will come again and demand a continuation of the banquet from the local residents, who were not going to feed it. This is very dangerous. In world practice, the release of organic products into nature, be it garbage or food, is strictly prohibited. For example, in Yellowstone Park, all garbage containers are metal, with heavy lids with a lock so that a bear cannot open it; you cannot throw out any stub in the forest, even though it is organic, and you will get a fine.

— How do people find out about these rules?

— They have constant, systematic educational activities in schools and in national parks. Plus, they go out into nature with guides who inform about everything and are responsible for people’s behavior.

—Are you a professional biologist?

– Yes, game biologist. She studied at the University of National Economy, and at the same time worked in the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve in the Northern Urals, in the virgin forests of Komi. My second education was in the specialty “metropolis ecology”, Russian Chemical Technical University named after. D. I. Mendeleev.

— I have heard more than once from professional biologists that “greens” do not always act for the good; they often do not understand well what they are doing.

— Unfortunately, this also happens. In any matter, it is important to rely on experts; nature reserves and national parks have them. We often connect friend clubs with such experts in the regions.

— Next year is the 110th anniversary of the Russian nature reserve system. Will you be celebrating it somehow?

– Necessarily. The Barguzin Nature Reserve was the first to be created in our country; this happened on December 29, 1916 according to the old style, on January 11, 1917 according to the new style, and this became the starting point for our entire reserve system. For us, this is a reason to talk more about nature and why it is important to preserve it. The dream is to launch an anniversary PR campaign throughout the country, telling everyone what protected areas are, how to preserve them, why they are needed, how to live next to them without harming them or people. After all, protected areas limit local residents: they cannot hunt, fish, cut down forest, or pick mushrooms and berries there.

Local residents often become our main opponents. And our task is to explain to them that their main alternative to making money is eco-tourism. But for this you need to be an educator, know the rules of tourism development, be able to assess the recreational load, create environmental trails to carefully redirect the flow of tourists. This is a whole science, and our protected areas can teach this.