FIELD EXCURSIONS AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF ACTIVE EDUCATIONAL FORMIN NATURE CONSERVATION – MODEL EXAMPLES

Blanka LEHOTSKÁ¹, Jana RUŽIČKOVÁ², Marta NEVŘELOVÁ^2 
1Katedra krajinnej ekológie, ²Katedra environmentálnej ekológie, Prírodovedecká fakulta, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Mlynská dolina, SK-842 15 Bratislava; e-mail: lehotska@fns.uniba.sk, ruzickova@fns.uniba.sk, nevrelova@fns.uniba.sk

 

Abstract

The purpose oft his paper is to underline the importance of scientific field excursions as educational tools to connect theoretical knowledge of students with practical experiences in the field of nature conservation. Field excursions increases interest and motivation of students and generate a more positive attitude about the subject. Students are taken to the locations that are unique and can not be duplicated in the classroom. Each student observes natural settings and creates personally relevant meaning to the experience. Model examples of field excursions are also presented in this paper. Field excursions are periodically realised for students of Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia). They are assigned for students of bachelor's and master degree in study programmes of Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Nature Conservation and Land Use. Examples of excursion destinations (two Slovak sites and onesite from abroad) for each of three topics as Ecological Networks, Objects built for Animal Migrations and Management of Protected Areas are presented.

 

Keywords: field excursions, nature conservation, model examples