Planning education to care for the earth - IUCN Knowledge Network

Planning education to care for the earthFundación Natura does not engage in tasks which are the naturalresponsibility of other institutions, but it does motivate work whichcontributes to the solution of environmental problems it has identified.Any cooperation with other organizations must imply a minimum of sharedwork so that experience, knowledge, and work methods can be exchanged.Only educational activities with an identified need for a technical team fromthe foundation are accepted.The general operating plan for Fundación Natura incorporating a budget topresent to financial sponsors covers the total period of projects orprogrammes (four to five years in the case of EDUNAT). The foundationsubsequently draws up an operating plan for the fiscal year and this serves asthe basis for quarterly plans and the weekly work plans for individual staffmembers. Progress reports are issued quarterly and annually. This approachmakes it possible to apply modular planning which is adjusted to theavailability of resources and the priorities of the donor institutions. EEprojects must be evaluated by an outside team.EDUNAT paid no more than 25 percent of publicity and advertising in themass media; the remainder had to be covered by the media or by cosponsors.No cash was donated to any institution for educational activities,but cooperative operations were financed.Production of education and communication materials was decentralized,with at least 75 percent of total production stemming from local initiatives;50 percent of material reproduced allowed for local trial and adaptation. Alleducational materials were tested to ensure that they met the needs of theaudiences addressed.In local communities, EDUNAT did not engage in mass education activities,which were left to other institutions. In exceptional cases of ecologicalemergency or to test new materials over short periods, EDUNAT did,however, work directly in such communities.The staff of EDUNAT were on temporary contracts in line with a policy ofefficiency and austerity; as each phase ended, technical/administrative teamswere disbanded. Education/communication strategies were designed fordifferent target audiences.Specific approachesIn the first stage of EDUNAT, a “shock strategy” was used with key figuresin government, chambers of commerce and various professionalorganizations. Audio-visual slide sets were presented privately to theseindividuals at their places of work to demonstrate the environmentalproblems, their causes, social factors, and alternative solutions. One set(eight minutes) described the main environmental problems in the world ingeneral and in Ecuador in particular. Five other sets (five minutes each)concentrated on subjects of interest to particular categories:• the role of political leaders;158