ÖKOKRATT Environmental education project

1. ÖKOKRATTEnvironmental education project Idea The idea is to increase the environmental consciousness and sustainable lifestyle of Estonian population, especially children. Knowing the environmental situation of our home places, we are able to preserve Estonia.

2. Mission • To explain the principles of sustainable lifestyle • To bring forth what the human activities cause to environment (causes and effects – everything is connected with everything) • To expand the activities to other local governments in addition the Harju County municipalities • To find sympathizers and supporters to environmental education project Ökokratt

3. Logo and Motto • The environmental project Ökokratt has successfully been running since 1999 • Since 2000 the motto of Ökokratt has been ENLIGHTEN YOURSELF! And the logo has been an electric bulb that has a fir-tree inside it. • The logo and the motto were found as a result of a competition where the school children of Kolga and Kuusalu participated. The author of the logo and motto is Marko Maisto from Kolga (8th grade in 2000). • The electric bulb symbolizes our fragile environment that is surrounding and protecting us. The fir-tree is the symbol of everything that is alive. • The motto "enlighten yourself" means that people have to know more about the possibilities of how to protect the environment and they have to acknowledge the real situation.

4. Events Done So Far Activities number of participants in a project • 1999 - waste and waste treatment 1600 children (total 1700) • 2000 - water and water management 1600 children (total 1800) • 2001 - air and energy 1600 children (total 1800) • 2002 - spring – legends and folk myths1600 children (total 1900) • 2002 - autumn – hazardous waste 1600 children (total 2200) • 2003 – soil and geology 1600 children (total 2300) • 2003 - spring – waste segregation 2200 children (total 2400) • 2004 – all over Estonia waste segregation 13942 children (total 14200) • 11 counties, 28 municipalities, 92 schools and kindergartens participated in the projects

5. Additional large projects that have been done • Energy saving game in internet - funded by Estonian Energy Participation in Happy tour with environmental consciousness part in 2003 - funded by Environmental Investment Centre + private sector • In 2003. teachers’ day dancing party – funded by private sector • Environmental tent in an event Grillfest in 2003 - funded by Environmental Investment Centre + private sector • FunFair 2003 — an international fair of events and entertainment servicesin Eesti Näitused fair centre - funded by Environmental Investment Centre + private sector • Awarding children – and environmental friendly enterprise AS Tallinna Prügila in December 2003 • Organisation of Juku competition (questions on nature and a quiz) • Organisation of environmental tents in 2004 for 8 times

6. Cooperation Partners – Entrepreneurs 2004 • Vaania AS • Väätsa Prügila AS • EMEX AS • MTÜ EMI- ECO • Tallinna LKS • OÜ Hendrikson & KO • OÜ Captol (E- Compost) • AS Latfood (TAFFEL) • MTÜ Veljo Tormise Kultuuriselts • TOP TEN • Ragn Sells • Toomas Tross ja Haide Männamaa (clowns Piip ja Tuut) • MTÜ Happy • Secret Service OÜ • Grillfest • MTÜ EJKL • UAB Viessmann • OÜ Allprint • Shöttli Keskkonnatehnika • AS Balti Spoon

7. Municipalities that participated in the project in 2004 Harju County MUNICIPALITIES Jõelähtme; Harku; Loksa; Kernu; Kose; Kuusalu; Kõue; Raasiku; Rae; Saku. TOWNS Paldiski; Loksa; Keila. Võru County Võru town Järva County Järva - Jaani; Koeru; Paide town Lääne County Haapsalu town Ida- Viru County Vaivara Põlva County Põlva municipality Tartu County Nõo; Rõngu. Viljandi County: Halliste; Tarvastu;; Suure- Jaani; Viljandi town Lääne- Viru County Vihula, Pärnu County Tõstamaa, Rapla County Kaiu municipality

8. „Save water and prevent its pollution!” • The motto for the project Ökokratt in 2005 is as follows: „Save water and prevent its pollution!” • One of the goals of our project is to contribute to saving of water and prevention of water pollution and make the explanatory activities by the  local government officials among local people more efficient when introducing  the EU water directive.  The aim is to show the connections with other environmental problems like waste for example. • Our goal is to include 50 municipalities and 200 kindergartens and schools, altogether 50 000 young people in the water project.

9. Project’s Activities • Finding of interested people and cooperation partners • Planning of Events • Training for teachers and local government officials • An environmental week carried out in cooperation with municipalities, teachers, entrepreneurs and Ökokratt

10. Possible activities in cooperation with municipalities • Organisation of campaigns to collect old metal • Establishment of a waste station in municipalities (a field for containers for collection of segregated waste) • Organisation of environmental consciousness campaigns with funding raised

11. Results • The benefit from the project is investment in education and eruditeness. The more conscious are the people the cleaner becomes the environment. • Our experience shows that it is possible to influence adults via children to be more environmental friendly because the feedback from parents, politicians, and teachers has shown it. • Probably the reaction of a mother, father, grandma, grandpa or aunt or uncle is totally different when they hear from their child that something cannot be done this way but totally in another way. • Each adult will remember for quite a long time a remark that he/she received from his/her dear child. • The result is significantly better than an inspector’s or official’s lecturing or a fine.

12. While implementing the project on a local level we expect • Opportunity to create synergies • Publicizing the project in local news, town/municipality papers • Guidance for local government officials and experts in implementation of the project successfully • A contact person from each educational institution (name and contact data) whom our project manager could contact. • Organisation of at least one event for adults (a dancing party) • Satisfaction of the participants with the results in the end of the project

13. Future Plans • To develop an environmental consciousness supplementary education system for the staff of educational institutions (schools-kindergartens) and for municipalities in cooperation with Estonian and foreign partners • To organise a series of events (a week) of environmental consciousness together with teachers, trainers and local government officials in a way that young people would understand • To give an opportunity for young people to develop themselves during their free time (environmental education centre, environmental education portal, eco-camp, cooperation projects with young people from Estonia and other countries and with other similar organisations).

14. TIT-TIP-TIP Trash Mountain N EURO (Text Marek Sadam, Music Kalev Tilk) there was a date aside a like the guys who did love dogs and kids met chicks who said loved flowerbeds “oh romantic, let`s get be frantic” and then they took their chips and beer removed their stylish nylon-wear a lot of staff kept falling down on mother natures holy ground chorus: so you see, it lies and tip-tip-tip it gries don`t leave it there to die don`t kiss the earth goodbye `cause garbage has a home where it is not alone say, which of you is shit if you don`t give a shit think a bit

15. We hope that our wish to organise environmental weeks in your town’s/municipality’s – county’s educational institutions will grow into a pleasant and continuous cooperation! MTÜ Ökokratt contacts Priit Adler e-mail: priit@okokratt.ee GSM +372 51 32 149 Viive Abel e-mail: viive@okokratt.ee website : www.okokratt.ee Mailing address: Saluvälja 3, Kuusalu village, 74601 Harju County