A teaching tool on the wolf for the Parc National du Mercantour: « Animalle loup » !
A training course was organised in the Park National du Mercantour, a partner in the LWA EU project, on 5-6 February 2024 in the Vésubie valley, France, to learn how to use educational material on the wolf. Fifteen participants, including National Park staff and partners (also from the Aree protette Alpi Marittime), were able to familiarise themselves with the educational approach and the various tools and activities relating to the wolf, with a view to setting up projects and initiatives to raise awareness of this large predator in various settings (schools, extracurricular activities, leisure activities, events, etc.).
The “Animalle” wolf trunk is a rich, objective and flexible educational tool aimed at children from nursery school to secondary school, as well as adults. It was created in 2010 by the SOURS association in partnership with the Rhône-Alpes DREAL, the Auvergne-Languedoc-Roussillon inter-regional office of the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, the Pyrénées-Orientales education inspectorate and the Languedoc-Roussillon education authority. For the Parc du Mercantour, this tool complements the “Wolf in a backpack” kit developed by MUSE as part of the project. Particular attention has been paid to ensuring that the educational objectives are consistent with those of the French Ministry of Education.
Without glossing over the difficulties linked to the cohabitation of the wolf and human activities, this teaching aid aims to provide a balanced understanding of the presence of the wolf in France and enables project-based teaching to be used to :
- gain a better understanding of the biology and ethology of the species to help demystify the animal,
- better understand the impact of predation on domestic herds and the situation of farmers.
This tool will enable the park’s teams and partners to keep the LIFE WolfAlps EU actions alive beyond the end of the programme!
