On May 12, Russia and the countries of the former USSR celebrate Environmental Education Day . The holiday, the purpose of which is to actualize environmental knowledge in all sciences and all spheres of human activity, was established in 1991.

On this day, various environmental events are held in cities and towns, which are both educational and practical in nature: exhibitions, conferences and children’s creativity competitions on the topic of nature conservation are held, people participate in nature conservation activities – cleaning the banks of rivers and reservoirs, cleaning parks, landscaping areas. This holiday concerns everyone who takes part in promoting the idea of ​​nature conservation.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of environmental education. It is environmental knowledge that allows a person to understand what catastrophic phenomena can result from harmful habits in relation to nature; to understand how to avoid such consequences. The highest goal of environmental education is to form the so-called environmental culture.

The importance of environmental education cannot be overestimated… (Photo: potowizard, licensed by Shutterstock.com)

For the first time, representatives of the world community expressed concern about environmental problems, which are caused by the development of scientific and technological progress on the planet, in 1972 – at the UN International Conference on the Environment in Stockholm. Twenty years later, in June 1992,  a second similar conference was held in Rio de Janeiro , where, among other things, the issue of the need to spread environmental education was raised.

The heads of most countries of the world have adopted and approved the Program of Action for the implementation of the concept of sustainable development of humanity, in which environmental education is given an important role.

Today, environmental education is one of the priority areas. Familiarization with the system of general comprehensive environmental education begins from preschool age and continues until university professional training and postgraduate retraining and advanced training of environmental specialists.

In addition, environmental knowledge is conveyed to the population through the media, as well as through various projects implemented by museums, libraries, educational institutions, nature conservation agencies, sports and tourism organizations.

https://www.calend.ru/holidays/0/0/3114/