Training seminar “BLACKSEAWATCH mobile app – useful tool for environmental education” was held on 20 October at culture centre “Sea Casino” at city of Burgas, Bulgaria. The event was attended by about 50 teachers and representatives of institutions and NGOs from Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Main goal of the seminar was to train the participants how to use the tools developed within BLACK SEA WATCH project "Black Sea Marine Environment Research With Public Participation" and their benefits for the environmental education. The project manager presented the goal and activities of the project targeting raising public awareness on Black Sea biodiversity and developing “citizen science” – collecting of data and monitoring of different flora and fauna species by amateurs.
BLACKSEAWATCH mobile app freely available for Android at Google Play and iOS at Apple store and the website BLACKSEAWATCH.ORG that provides opportunity for people not using smartphones to become amateur-naturalists were presented. Use of the tools was demonstrated with special attention on most common mistakes in submitting sightings and how most important fields should be filled – correct location and date of submitted sightings. The developed in the project SPECIES CATALOG used as guide for the users of the app collects more than 160 species of 12 groups of organisms found in and around the Black Sea and allows quick identification of observed species – useful information always available on your mobile phone or tablet.
Assoc. Professor Marina Panayotova of IO-BAS – one of the scientific experts in the project presented the fish fauna of the Black Sea – diversity, current state and perspectives. The participants were informed about the threats for the Black Sea ecosystem – pollution, loss of biodiversity and habitat degradation, overexploitation of biological resources, invasive species. Modern methods for study of the fish populations and estimations of stocks in the Bulgarian Black Sea waters were presented, too.
The children booklet developed in the project – The adventures of Meriyem and Fanny the Dolphin – targeting the younger nature lovers from primary schools has attracted strong interest. Aneliya Pavlova – described shortly the exciting international story uniting elements of art, sport and nature protection!
Participants in the seminar’s feedback was very positive both for the event and the products of BLACK SEA WATCH project "Black Sea Marine Environment Research With Public Participation". Suggestion on wider use of the app and its upgrade to official source of alerts to environment authorities was made. We got invitations for school visits and demonstrating how young naturalists can use their smart phones as a tool for study and conservation of biodiversity of the Black Sea.
After completion of the event the participants were handed certificates and now they can teach their schoolchildren how to use their phones not only as mean for communication and leisure but as well for new knowledge and supporting collection of scientific information.
The project is co-financed by the European Union and Republic of Turkey within the Civil Society Dialogue IV Program.
Contacts:
Dimitar Popov, dpopov@greenbalkans.org
BLACKSEAWATCH mobile app freely available for Android at Google Play and iOS at Apple store and the website BLACKSEAWATCH.ORG that provides opportunity for people not using smartphones to become amateur-naturalists were presented. Use of the tools was demonstrated with special attention on most common mistakes in submitting sightings and how most important fields should be filled – correct location and date of submitted sightings. The developed in the project SPECIES CATALOG used as guide for the users of the app collects more than 160 species of 12 groups of organisms found in and around the Black Sea and allows quick identification of observed species – useful information always available on your mobile phone or tablet.
Assoc. Professor Marina Panayotova of IO-BAS – one of the scientific experts in the project presented the fish fauna of the Black Sea – diversity, current state and perspectives. The participants were informed about the threats for the Black Sea ecosystem – pollution, loss of biodiversity and habitat degradation, overexploitation of biological resources, invasive species. Modern methods for study of the fish populations and estimations of stocks in the Bulgarian Black Sea waters were presented, too.
The children booklet developed in the project – The adventures of Meriyem and Fanny the Dolphin – targeting the younger nature lovers from primary schools has attracted strong interest. Aneliya Pavlova – described shortly the exciting international story uniting elements of art, sport and nature protection!
Participants in the seminar’s feedback was very positive both for the event and the products of BLACK SEA WATCH project "Black Sea Marine Environment Research With Public Participation". Suggestion on wider use of the app and its upgrade to official source of alerts to environment authorities was made. We got invitations for school visits and demonstrating how young naturalists can use their smart phones as a tool for study and conservation of biodiversity of the Black Sea.
After completion of the event the participants were handed certificates and now they can teach their schoolchildren how to use their phones not only as mean for communication and leisure but as well for new knowledge and supporting collection of scientific information.
The project is co-financed by the European Union and Republic of Turkey within the Civil Society Dialogue IV Program.
Contacts:
Dimitar Popov, dpopov@greenbalkans.org
