Quality label of Triglav National Park

In the field of awareness and education about the national park and its values, the public institution Triglav National Park pays particular attention to primary school students and young people in general. Both in the field and at information centers, we engage with groups of children and young people from Slovenia and abroad. In 2018, the Community of Schools of the Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps was established, bringing together 39 schools (19 main schools with branches—over 7,000 students in total). What they have in common is that they are located near Slovenia's only national park and in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Students from the member schools of the Community of Schools have access to a wide range of free nature-related content. In addition to a diverse selection of free natural science workshops, natural science days are organized each year as part of various projects. We also provide member schools with the opportunity to visit nearby protected areas free of charge. In the past, we have visited the Julian Prealps Nature Park in the Resia valley (Italy) and the Nockberge Biosphere Reserve (Austria). In the last two years, we took students to the Karst Biosphere Reserve and the Reka River basin, where we explored the magnificent Škocjan Caves. Students and teachers can explore the Triglav Treasury, an online platform featuring educational materials about Triglav National Park and the Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps. It offers various levels of access to articles, interactive content, and worksheets for the general public, students, and specifically for teachers, who can find teaching materials for classroom work or field preparation. The Triglav Treasury is continually updated with new content. To support children in learning about sustainable development and locally produced food, all schools received a raised garden bed in the 2019/20 school year and a fruit tree (a plum) in 2020/21. Additionally, students receive an annual issue of the children's magazine of the Community of Schools of the Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps, with this year being the fourth edition.

This year, we awarded the Quality Label for the first time to eight schools that are members of the Community of Schools of the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve. This public recognition honors their dedicated and active participation in educating about the importance of nature conservation and preserving cultural heritage, as well as their exceptional efforts in strengthening the identity of the Community of Schools of the Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps.

The principals of the recipient schools will accept the Quality Label certificate on behalf of their schools. For the students of these schools, we have prepared various tools for modern outdoor teaching beyond the classroom. The selected schools will receive a stereo microscope for outdoor work, a kit with tools for science subjects, and notebooks for recording material during outdoor lessons.

The public institution Triglav National Park aims to emphasize the extraordinary importance of collaboration between the management of the protected area and schools through the awarding of the Quality Label. Schools that hold the Quality Label will have priority in environmental education activities (e.g., priority in applications for nature days, etc.). The Quality Label will be a requirement for participating in funding applications, which will enable the park to support or co-finance environmental projects and educational activities that align with the goals of the national park.