The Phoenix carries out a broad range of ecological educational programs in Primorye. The main supporters of educational projects are: Tigris Foundation, ZSL, AMUR, IFAW, Save the Tiger Fund, 21st CT, Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund, Whitley Fund for Nature, Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation, Wildlife Alliance, Tamaki Foundation and others.

Our goals are:

1. Educate the youth about endangered wildlife of the region,
2. Attract attention to the environmental problems of the region,
3. Foster a positive attitude to endangered wildlife and nature conservation activities,
4. Bring up nature oriented youth, increase the communities' awareness and participation in conservation-related activities,
5. Influence adults (parents) through the environmental education of their kids.

There is a lack of information on local wildlife and endangered species, educational and reference materials for schools. Schools have inadequate equipment and need more experienced teachers. Phoenix Fund carries out following ecological educational activities to address these problems:

1) Phoenix organizes ecological festivals in Primorye.
Celebration of a Tiger Day Festival is a wonderful tradition initiated in 2000 in the Russian Far East by Phoenix, a local non-governmental organization, with support from the international community. Having started as a small school event, which toddled, as a cub, through Vladivostok streets in 2000, the Tiger Day won the city holiday status in a year and grew up into a wonderful festival that leaps boldly across the country, from Moscow to Vladivostok. The Festival starts with a parade through the city. Art contests, quizzes, and shows for children and adults last all day long and end with a discotheque. The event receives broad coverage on TV. The festival helps people realize the importance of wildlife conservation issues. Phoenix, together with WWF and Tigris sponsors "The Leopard Land Festival" in Khasan district. Children and artists prepare performances for local people and tourists on the sea beach. People take part in ecological games and quizzes. Children are invited to express their vision of the environment with the help of paints and coloured pencils. The kids receive prizes for "The best painting of a tiger", "the best painting of a leopard", innovative ideas and many others.

2) Environmental education in the north of Primorye.
Two educators carry out environmental lectures, games and quizzes at local schools. The lectures cover: - "Endangered wildlife", - "Environment and pollution", - "Nature reserves", - "Conservation activities", - "Siberian tiger".

3) Supporting environmental education at local schools.
Phoenix organizes nature -oriented excursions to eco-centres for local kids, supports for local schools and eco-centres with equipment and materials and organizes kids' art contests and exhibitions.

4) Environmental education in the south of Primorye.
An experienced educator carries out "Amur leopard" slide presentation, interactive classes with children in Khasan district. The schoolchildren take part in contests and games; the winners are awarded with gifts and our "Amur leopard" booklet.

5) Supporting ecological centres in Primorye

The Phoenix Fund supports seven eco-centres in Primorsky krai: in Novopokrovka town (Krasnoarmeisky district), "Uragus" eco-centre in Terney town (Terneisky district), in Luchegorsk town (Pozharsky district), in Lazo town (Lazovsky district), in Partizansk (Partizansky district), in Kirovka town (Kirovsky district) and in Slavyanka town (Khasansky district). The experienced educators conduct ecological classes, lectures, slide presentations and other activities for children and adults. The eco-centres serve as libraries or resource centres and place for different nature-oriented events.

6) Developing educational materials at schools.
Phoenix develops reference materials (posters, booklets, CDs, books) and teachers' guides on wildlife and endangered animals of Primorye. Such materials are developed in co-operation with experts-biologists, ecologists, and educators. They receive approval by State Institutions and become part of the regional ecological education program.

6.1. In December 2001 Phoenix published Green Book of Sikhote-Alin.
This book, intended for tourists, travelers and researches, provides a rich material for observation and helps take a look in wonderful corners of the native Territory and get acquainted with the unique world of the Sikhote-Alin.

6.2.In September 2002 Phoenix published 1,000 copies of an educational booklet "Home of the Far Eastern leopard" for local schools.
It covers the topics of the leopard biology, habitat, history and conservation efforts illustrated with the colourful children's paintings of this beautiful animal. The goal of the project is to increase awareness of the local population and foster positive attitude towards leopards. The booklet is being distributed among the young people in the schools, libraries, summer camps and the adults all over the district.



6.3. In December 2002 Phoenix with support from Rufford Foundation developed informative booklet on the black vulture population.
The project will increase the knowledge on the black vulture and awareness to the plight of this bird, strengthen ecological education, facilitate nature conservation, and therefore, create a more stable basis for conservation of the endangered species.

6.4. In August 2003 Phoenix with support from AMUR and Fauna and Flora International developed a Leopard Posters Educational Kit for Schools of Primorye.
The project helped fill up the gap in leopard education at schools of Primorye and ingrain it into the Regional Biological Education Programme of Primorye. Phoenix developed two colourful posters with information on the main issues of the leopard, together with the teachers' guide. The leopard education kit can be used on Biology, Ecology and Nature classes at secondary and high schools of Primorye for 3-4 years. Thus, during only one year, the pupils of 9-11 and 13-17 years will study on these educational materials.

6.5. In 2003 Phoenix with support from Project AWARE finished the aquatic education project called "Inhabitants of the Sea of Japan". The purpose of the project was to increase the knowledge on the wide- spread and endangered marine species characteristic of the Sea of Japan, strengthen environmental education at schools, foster positive attitude to the nature conservation in Primorye. It presupposed development of "Inhabitants of the Sea of Japan" education kit (CD with photos and information on the marine species of the Sea of Japan, their habitat, population, threats for survival, and the teachers' guide). The educational CD is distributed among the schools, eco-centres, libraries, nature conservation institutions, and travel agencies of the region.

6.6. In September 2004 Phoenix in cooperation with Wildlife Conservation Society and the Far Eastern State University, published "Fauna of the Ussuriisky taiga", a field -guide on the wildlife of the region. This book, intended for tourists, travelers, researchers, schoolchildren and broad public, will provide rich material for observations and learning, help get an insight into the wonderful corners of the nature, and get acquainted with the unique world of the Sikhote -Alin mountain ridge. The Sikhote-Alin mountain ridge stretches from the south to the north, for about 2,000 kilometers, and is parallel to the coasts of the Sea of Japan and the Tatar Strait. Average heights of mountain peaks range from 640 to 850 m above the sea level. This area is characterized by high biological diversity and nature beauty. The colorful manual contains photos and concise descriptions in both Russian and English of about three hundred species (from insects to large predators) that comprise a small part of the wildlife of this surprising area. It also contains the habitat maps and information on protected territories of the region. Leading biologists and ecologists wrote articles for the book.

6.7. In August 2004 Phoenix with support from Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Foundation produced "Tiger at Home" educational kit for schools in Primorye. This kit consists of 4 colorful posters on the Amur tiger as well as teachers' guide. In total, 1,000 copies of the Tiger educational kit were published. Each poster contains a text on the poster's theme and 7-15 pictures illustrating the text. The posters' content was developed in close cooperation with the researchers of the Research Institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and educators of Primorsky Institute of Further Training of Educators. The tiger education kit can be used on Biology, Ecology and Nature classes at secondary and high schools of Primorye for 3-4 years.

6.8.In 2004 the Phoenix Fund in cooperation with AMUR and Moscow Zoo, and with support from 21st Century Tiger started implementation of 'Amur tiger Education and Awareness' project. Within the framework of this project in July 2005 the Phoenix Fund published children's Tiger Book provided with Teacher's Pack. The Tiger Book was created along the similar lines to the already very successful Leopard Book, which was developed a few years ago by 'Zov Taigi' and was in constant use in schools in the Russian Far East. The Tiger Book is specially written by Russian education/conservation experts for children aged 10-12. The Teacher's Pack includes teaching notes and up to date information about Russian Amur tigers and conservation, ideas for games and competitions, information about what individual children can do to help conservation. In addition, Phoenix developed a tiger poster kit, which comprises 4 posters on tiger biology, ecology, prey species, conservation efforts and so on. This educational kit was provided to all schools in the Russian Far East, and part of copies was distributed among the schools in the western part of Russia. In 2007, Children's Tiger Book was slightly edited, improved, reprinted, and distributed among broad audience.

6.9.In 2005, with support from the Rhinoceros &Tiger Conservation Fund, USA and the Save the Tiger Fund, Phoenix published a third edition of the booklet "Guidelines for human behavior and livestock management in tiger habitat". The booklet contains important information on what a person should do during various instances of encounter with tiger: when it is a tigress with cubs, when tiger is hungry or wounded, when it is near its prey, or caught in a trap, etc. Besides, the brochure describes tiger behavior during attack, human defense techniques, livestock management recommendations and scaring away methods. The aim of the publication is to ensure safety of people in taiga and minimize the possibility of conflict situations with tiger, so that this magnificent endangered predator can "peacefully co-exist" with people. The booklet has been gaining an increasing interest from local communities and nature reserves, among which it is disseminated.

6.10. In 2005, the Phoenix Fund, with support from the Rufford Foundation and WildAid, published a research work "Assessment of the Himalayan Black Bear Population Status in Primorsky and Khabarovsky Regions". Himalayan black bear is one of the most interesting animal species of the Russian Far East, however it is still insufficiently studied. The analysis of collected data showed that the information on the Himalayan black bear population is fragmented and does not correspond with the population value and attractiveness. The project presupposed collection and analysis of all available information on Himalayan black bear: its numbers assessment, population structure and status, distribution, reproductive capacity and harvesting limits. The aim of the project was to develop a set of recommendations for strategy of sustainable use and protection of the species in the Russian Far East.

6.11. In 2006, Phoenix Fund and Primorsky Institute of Retraining and Advanced Training of Teachers with financial support from Vladivostok administration and with participation of "Computer Innovatiotions" Ltd. developed two multimedia encyclopedias "Biological diversity of Primorsky region (animals)" and "Sea inhabitants of Russian Far Southeast". More than 50 employees of research institutes of the Far Eastern branch of Russian Academy of Science and Pacific Fish Research Centre contributed to the editions.
Educational illustrative materials "Sea inhabitants of Russian Far Southeast" are intended for educational establishments and ecological centers of Russian Far East. The CD contains 33 educating articles, photos and videos of more than 250 plant and animal species of Sea of Japan, posters accompanied with teacher's guides, brief physiographic characterization and a map of the sea, and also recommendations for use of the CD at the lessons.
Multimedia anthology "Biological diversity of Primorsky region (animals)" is destined for educational institutions and ecological centers of Russian Far East. "Reading-book" chapter consists of 80 educating articles illustrated with photos and pictures. Species list contains 600 photographs, 38 video fragments and 18 sound files on 417 animal species inhabiting the Ussuri taiga. Maps chapter comprises 29 maps of specially protected territories and species habitats.

6.12. In 2006 Phoenix Fund and Primorsky Institute of Retraining and Advanced Training of Teachers with financial support from Vladivostok administration and with participation of "Computer Innovatiotions" Ltd. published educational kit "Flora and Fauna of Russian Far East" with teacher's guides to them. Six colorful posters "Macrophytes of Russian Far East" (algae and sea grasses), "Lianas of Russian Far East", "Conifers of Russian Far East", "Crustaceans of Russian Far East", "Echinoderms of Russian Far East" and "Mammals of prey of Russian Far East" include photos and overview on species biology, habitats, breeding, prey base and guidelines for teachers. All schools of Primorye received the posters at the beginning of academic year.

6.13. In July 2007 Phoenix jointly with the Far Eastern National University (Vladivostok) released a field guide: "Plants and Animals of the Japan/East Sea". The edition with a run of 4,000 copies comprises information in Russian and English on 405 species of the Russian part of the Japan Sea. Colour photograph and a map of distribution accompany each description. Written within everybody's grasp it will be of interest to tourists, students and all nature enthusiasts. This is a fruit of a year-and-a-half painstaking work of more than 50 researches - authors of articles, photos and drawings - and Phoenix. Thus, trilogy on wildlife of our part of the Russian Far East is complete: earlier Phoenix produced "Green World of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains" and "Fauna of the Ussuri taiga". Publication became possible due to financial support of Project AWARE, UK-based charity whose aim is to preserve aquatic eco-systems, and Far Eastern National University (DVGU). In the coming weeks all concerned may find the field-guide in the University's bookshops. You are also free to contact Phoenix and we will assist with purchasing and shipping.

6.14. Traditionally, a tiger calendar for school year 2007 - 2008 was created. It has got children's paintings "A Day of Tiger Life" on each page. The calendar is very much welcomed by everybody. Districts even compete with each other in how many of their works have been selected.

6.15. In November 2007 a booklet "Guidelines for frontier guards who keep sentry in Amur tiger and leopard range" by D.G. Pikunov was printed within "Leopard's Land" project, with financial support from Phoenix and WWF.