Water School Hohe Tauern National Park
Water is a limited resource! For as long as Earth exists, the supply of water has always remained the same. Nothing is added and nothing disappears. The dinosaurs already bathed in our drinking water! Ever more people need these water resources, which unfortunately are not used in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, industry and agriculture are polluting the water more and more. Due to these facts, we are facing a global water crisis, for which only world-wide and sustainable water management provides a solution.
Water in the Hohe Tauern National Park
Water of the highest quality and sufficient quantity, glacier-capped peaks, impressive waterfalls, raging streams and placid lakes in their untouched state - the Hohe Tauern National Park is committed to protecting its diverse watercourses and water as a resource. Aware of having taken on such great responsibility, the Hohe Tauern National Park has chosen the theme of "water" as its focal activity. In addition to protective measures and scientific work, an extensive educational programme for children, youth and adults has been developed.
Swarovski & Co - Commitment to water
With the aim of raising awareness of water as a resource, the threat it's facing, its preservation and sustainable use, D. Swarovski & Co. initiated the establishment of the Hohe Tauern National Park mobile Water School in 1999.
For D. Swarovski & Co. - the largest manufacturer of crystals worldwide - sustainable use of this essential element is not only a corporate objective. In fact, the group has put the issue of water at the centre of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Projects connected to water as a resource are initiated and financed all over the world. These include preservation projects for various watercourses and wetlands as well as water supply projects in regions suffering from water shortages. As part of this programme, however, special focus has been put "Water School Projects" in countries such as Austria (Hohe Tauern National Park), China, India and Uganda. These projects are primarily aimed at children and youth, the decision-makers of tomorrow.
Wasserschule Nationalpark Hohe Tauern
The Water School Hohe Tauern National Park is a mobile school aimed at school classes visiting the national park region. National park rangers come to the respective schools as water school teachers, taking with them all aids required for teaching.
During the 4-day courses, students aged 8 to 13 years are given a comprehensive and complete picture of water as a resource on a regional, national and global level. After three exciting days in the classroom, it's out into the great outdoors to explore mountain streams, ponds and tarns.
The courses of the Water School Hohe Tauern National Park have the nature of project weeks. A wide range of methodologies and interdisciplinary teaching are central to this. Students are encouraged to work independently and their creativity and inquiring mind promoted.
Contents of the water school
The waters school courses are adapted to the age of the students. Accordingly, different core areas of content are selected from the following topics:
Sensual encounters with water
Hearing, feeling, tasting water
The theme of water in music and literature
The water of the Earth - Availability of water
The global hydrologic cycle
Personal water consumption by international comparison
Water supply and disposal of water for domestic use
Drinking water supplies and the threats they are facing
Ecology of running and stagnant waters
Watercourses in the Hohe Tauern National Park
Registration and information
National park administration Salzburg
Tel: +43 (0)6562 40849-33
Mail: nationalpark@salzburg.gv.at
