Education has been one of key priorities of FLEG in Russia. The development of sustainable forest management is impossible without strengthening human potential.

FLEG II Program summed up the results of its educational activities in Russia in Pushkino, Russia, at a workshop Continuing Education in the System of Forest Management and Law Enforcement: Lessons Learned and Problems, on December 8-9, 2016. The workshop brought together 35 experts from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Republics of Buryatia, Komi and Tatarstan, Khabarovsk Krai, Khanti-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, and Arkhangelsk Oblast, Belgorod Oblast, Voronezh Oblast, Samara Oblast, Ryazan Oblast, Tambov Oblast and Tver Oblast. As a result of the workshop, the participants agreed on Recommendations.

“FLEG experts chose practice-oriented module-based organization of the educational process as the methodological basis for improving the forest education. It allows creating training materials (plans, programs, textbooks, etc.) where the content can be constantly changed and expanded in case of changes in the forest and forest-related legislation and innovations in the field”, says Anatoly Petrov, professor, Doctor of Economics, president of the Russian Institute of Continuous Education in Forestry.

As a methodological basis for improvement of forest education for all of its forms and types of FLEG Program experts have chosen a practice-oriented modular organization of educational process. It allows you to create training materials (plans, programs, manuals, etc..), The contents of which can be constantly making changes and additions, due to both the improvement of forestry and related legislation, and innovative activity

We present below three materials that became FLEG's bestsellers in forest education.

“Improving Forest Law Enforcement and Governance in the Russian Federation”

FLEG first published this textbook in 2011. The book was in high demand, but later, due to a lot of legal changes in the sector, it required substantial updating and expanding.

The textbook gives students knowledge in government and economic management of forests. It teaches future specialists to take administrative decisions regarding the use, restoration, and protection of forests, prevention and reduction of illegal activities and corruption. 

The textbook consists of 6 modules: legal, regulatory, and organizational aspects of the fight against illegal activities; organization and implementation of state forest control; accounting of harvested wood; forest certification and other market incentives for legal forest use; work with the civil society; corruption risks related to the forest legislation.

The readers of the textbooks will get answers to such question as “Which documents must a forest user have for logging forest plantations?”, “Which timber must be labeled?”, “Which supporting documents must transported wood have?”, “What arguments can be used to convince the head of the organization to provide additional funds for an expanded program of public participation?” and many others.

Learn more: http://www.enpi-fleg.org/news/fleg-2-vypuskaet-vtoroe-izdanie-populiarnogo-uchebnika/

“Law Enforcement and Governance in Forest Use, Protection and Renewal”

The textbook was first published in 2015. Before, there had been no textbooks on the topic in higher forestry educational establishments for many years.

The textbook is dedicated to the management and law enforcement in four key areas of forestry: forest use, conservation, protection from fires and renewal.

It provides answers to hundreds of questions across a broad range of areas, e.g.: What are the grounds for rejections of applications to participate in auctions for lease-based use of forest parcels? How to estimate the number of needed watch towers for forest fire monitoring within a given area? Which of insect pests are the most hazardous for Russian forests in the first decade of the 21st century? What are the signs of corruption risks in forest renewal?

The textbook contains tasks/exercises, including a variety of practice simulation business games. E.g., students play the roles of Forest Rangers, Heads of Municipal Administrations, Representatives of Forest Fire Authorities and Chairs of Emergency Committees to show how they would prepare plans of forest fire fighting operations and distribute the responsibilities thereunder. Or: a Forest Lessee is to hold business negotiations with a Forest Ranger to decide upon forest pest management, silvicultural or salvage operations within a given forest area. This simulation business game starts with the following words of the Forest Lessee: “We have discovered that the number of dead trees is increasing within this parcel while according to the forest development plan, this is a parcel of healthy forest”, and each of the participants of the game should defend the interests of his party, referring to respective legislation.

Learn more: http://www.enpi-fleg.org/news/fleg-2-produced-a-new-training-manual-for-russian-students/

The legislation has been changing, and on the request of our stakeholders we have prepared the second edition of this textbook, which will come out in February 2017.

“ Forest and Forestry”

To increase professional awareness of young people who are considering going into forestry and forestry colleges and universities, FLEG decided to produce an educational material for school teachers who are leading extra-curricular activities related to forests.

Forest and Forestry, a practical educational guide is designated for teachers of schools and technical colleges, teachers leading school forestries and everyone who is interested in forests and forestry. Even representatives of higher education, who teach Bachelor and Master students, showed interest in the new publication.

The study guide is based on eight modules:

• Forest and people;
• Trees are the foundation of the forest;
• The flora and fauna of forests;
• Ecological and social services provided by forests;
• Forest restoration;
• Protection of forests from fires;
• Forest protection and sanitary safety;
• Participation in the Podrost All-Russia Youth Contest.

All modules have the same structure. In the first part, teachers are presented with the information that they need to give required knowledge on the topic to the students. In the second part, the teachers are provided with instructions on how to conduct practical lessons on the topic on forest sites.

The publication (full material in Russian and summary in English) can be found at http://www.enpi-fleg.org/docs/forest-and-forestry-school-teachers-manual/