������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��

Authors:

• Mackenzie Allen, Research Assistant, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
• Nancy Colleton, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)��
  Writing as members of the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Commission on Education and Communication

A full list of the NBSAPs can be found .

This research is a contribution to the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Commission on Education and Communication’s (CEC) efforts to catalyse and support a global movement for Nature-based Education. The following paragraphs describe the research process and findings and provide ideas for a way forward.

The assessment began with a thorough review of each NBSAP, determining its structure, level of detail, and funding plans. Keywords such as youth, teacher, curriculum, awareness, and outreach were used to identify these topics within each plan’s text and structure.

Although NBSAPs vary greatly in content and length, our research shows one commonality: education is underrepresented in the NBSAPs.

Many of the plans highlight the opportunity for education and communication to address a lack of knowledge or indifference to biodiversity issues, but few address this opportunity or provide clear strategies for filling this knowledge gap.�� Italy’s NBSAP is the only plan that includes education as a “transversal vector” across priority areas.

Improved biodiversity education, biodiversity training for educators, and nationwide awareness campaigns are the three major ways that countries are addressing education and communication in their NBSAPs. In addition, NBSAPs reflect diverse partners–from local governments to national parks to the private sector–as critical to reaching education and communication goals through formal, informal, and non-formal settings.

Formal Education

Regarding formal education, the majority of the NBSAPs speak to incorporating biodiversity into relevant curricula for students of all ages. These so-called ‘green education’ packages will help to provide more consistent environmental education nationwide, combine textbook learning with outdoor nature education and field trips, and expand the course offerings at universities in the biodiversity area. Hungary, for example, is expanding its and networks to implement environmental education in more schools nationwide.

Almost all NBSAPs highlight goals to improve the qualifications of teachers by expanding biodiversity-related training and professional development opportunities, and some suggested creating a platform to facilitate the sharing of educational resources and allow educators to coordinate activities. France has distributed a guide for teachers on promoting environmental learning in schools, encouraging the development of school facilities favorable to hands-on learning, such as gardens and beehives.

Six NBSAPs also discuss biodiversity training for other professions, such as government workers. Integrating continuing education on biodiversity into training for a broader range of professions promotes an understanding of how these professions impact biodiversity issues and vice versa. Austria is incorporating biodiversity topics into the training of technicians, architects, economists, and doctors as well as data scientists.

Informal Education

Outside of the formal education system, many NBSAPs highlighted the usefulness of informal education opportunities, promoted through settings such as national parks, urban green spaces, watersheds, zoos, and museums. According to , outdoor educational activities have been shown to reduce stress and improve excitement toward learning about biodiversity, and many countries plan on taking advantage of their existing local and national resources for promoting encounters with nature in extracurricular learning locations. Informal education settings like this also provide a large opportunity for awareness-raising and community engagement with the general public. Japan is using its national parks to encourage nature activities and using its sewerage system facilities to hold community learning experiences.

Communications and Awareness

All NBSAPs addressed achieving broader societal knowledge and strengthening communication of biodiversity issues. This theme was the least developed throughout the NBSAPs and took many forms.�� Few strategies clearly define their nationwide awareness campaigns. Some examples include communication programs in the form of publications, storytelling mediums, documentaries, guides, science programs, and using new media to target specific groups. Some NBSAPs highlighted the opportunities in using international holidays or national festivals to create excitement around biodiversity. China plans to use important dates, such as World Earth Day, for nationwide awareness campaigns, and Suriname is developing awareness campaigns in multiple languages about the impact of human consumption on biodiversity.

Citizen Science

Citizen science is one key method for boosting public awareness through active engagement by fostering interest in biodiversity through educational experiences, citizen science can broaden the audiences reached. It can also help to develop a relationship of mutual enrichment between people and the environment through activities such as involving youth through new technologies like phone apps or by promoting collaborative monitoring of urban green spaces. Ireland is implementing a Biodiversity Citizen Science Strategy and Italy is promoting collaborative management of urban green spaces, both to raise awareness among citizens of the value of biodiversity. Several NBSAPs also touch on the importance of making biodiversity-related data accessible to the general public.

Post-COP10 Improvement

A comparison between older versions of selected NBSAPs and current plans shows that the role of education and communication has increased since COP 10. However, there is still much work to do regarding elevating and amplifying education and communication for reaching biodiversity goals. Although biodiversity education programs are taking root and flourishing around the globe, more efforts are needed to reflect these critical programs in NBSAPs.

By COP 16, countries that have ratified the CBD are expected to put forward revised and updated NBSAPs or to communicate national targets reflecting COP 15 outcomes. This research shows that many countries have missed the opportunity to include education and communication in their NBSAPs.��

Next steps for integrating education into NBSAPs

Looking forward, how do we as educators and communicators ensure this critical element is reflected in the NBSAPs? This is especially important given that we know of many successful efforts already taking place around the globe.�� How can we amplify the topic of education as critical to biodiversity conservation success just as science, monitoring, and policy are addressed?�� How can we support countries to integrate educational strategies in their NBSAPs?

Here are some ideas.

1. Promote a universal education action statement:�� The MacKinnon Doctrine

In her book, Nature’s Treasurehouse: The Wildlife of Indonesia, published in 1992, the late Kathy MacKinnon, former ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Chair, wrote in the acknowledgments describing the book, “It was meant as a text for students and the general public to raise awareness of Indonesia’s great biological riches and the need for their conservation.”��

We should honor Kathy and so many others who devoted their lives to advancing biodiversity and conservation by acknowledging education’s importance.

One way to do that is to ask all nations to include The MacKinnon Doctrine—a simple but strong statement in their NBSAPs:�� Education is essential to successful biodiversity conservation action and must be addressed in and across long-term strategies.��

2. Recognize that Good Planning Leads to Good Outcomes

Based on our research, the strongest strategies include goals, targets, and actions. These elements should be based on country-specific challenges and opportunities coupled with clear, quantifiable, and realistic indicators and timelines.

To further ensure successful and representative national plans, designated drafting leads should consider:

• Convening national institutions, key stakeholders (including marginalized communities), and partners to co-design strategy;
• Setting clear education and engagement goals that support GBF Targets and connections to climate education;
• Defining concrete, measurable indicators that can be used to assess progress;
• Assigning and clarifying responsibilities;
• Identifying resource needs and funding plans;
• Building on or adapting existing programs;
• Defining timelines and milestones;
• Integrating monitoring, elevation, and learning;
• Applying adaptive management; and
• Share results and learning.

3. Provide ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� CEC Leadership, Connections, and Planning Assistance

To facilitate communication between those who draft the NBSAPs and the education community, the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) is uniquely positioned to work with the CBD and national planning representatives to help bridge an important connection.�� The ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� CEC should identify subject matter experts within its membership who can support those drafting the NBSAPs.�� Most importantly, as a starting point, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� CEC should address and amplify what makes a good education plan based on this research.�� Education experts can help define specifics related to programmatic goals and objectives, timelines, and metrics, as well as unique opportunities and challenges of individual countries.�� The important understanding of what efforts are already underway or what successful models exist could be incredibly helpful to the planning process.

One thing is for sure, the conservation education community must connect with national planning counterparts to help elevate education’s role in the NBSAPs.�� Without this important connection, the world is missing the inspiration and motivation that result from enthusiastic teachers and students learning via nature, education experiences that improve through the greening of schools and schoolyards, valuable youth engagement in decision-making processes, and the preservation of our natural legacy amongst all populations.�� Most importantly, countries should embrace and strengthen the important building block of education, which is foundational to the future of biodiversity, climate, and conservation efforts.��


The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� or other participating organisations.