Nature School China – Center for Environmental Education and Communications of Ministry of Environmental Protection (China)

We hope that the building of nature schools can be a new start in China, helping to cultivate a culture where more people feel a sense of environmental responsibility.

The Goal

Launching a national nature school program in China.

Supported by Shenzhen OCT Hua Club Ecological Environment Protection Foundation (OCT_hcf), the Center for Environmental Education and Communications of Ministry of Environmental Protection (CEEC) launched the Program of Capacity Building of National Nature School in 2014. The program aims to:

1. Focus on talent cultivation and systematic teacher training on nature education
2. Set industry standards and compile the Guide on Nature Schools
3. Emphasize pilot demonstration and build pilot nature schools nationwide
4. Improve the mechanism of exchange and communication, promote cooperation between nature education and other fields, and enhance publicity.

The Solution

By focusing on specific goals, great progress has been made in the past two years, effectively pushing forward the development of nature education in China.

1. The training courses include national policy guidance on nature conservation as well as practical experience. The combination of theory and practice provides guidance for the participants to design their own nature education activities.
2. The Guide on Nature Schools compiled by CEEC has already been published, aiming to provide reference and assistance for nature schools that are constructed, under-construction, or to be constructed.
3. Beijing Badaling Forest Park, China National Children’s Center, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences have been selected nationwide as pilot sites of nature education.
4. CEEC has organized Nature Education Forums and Nature School Guide Seminars. CEEC is working hard to support, encourage and lead the whole society to carry out a variety of nature education activities and expand cooperation with related institutions in North America, Japan and Taiwan. Overseas trainings and seminars have also been organized.

 The Results

• More than 300 participants with different backgrounds have been trained, including staff from departments of environmental education and communications at provincial and municipal levels, NGO representatives, primary and high school teachers, postgraduate students, etc.
• The publication of the Guide on Nature Schools is a positive exploration and attempt to carry out nature education at a national level. It provides guidelines to nature school building and thus accelerates the development of nature education in China.

 Insider Tip

• Prioritise high quality instruction: Instructors of the trainings are well-qualified, from organizations such as IUCN, University of Taipei, Cornell University, etc. With their help, participants can learn about people’s psychological demands for nature education activities, and better understand the relationship between nature education, social development and local conditions.
• Engage participants with different backgrounds, occupations and work experiences.