How local people’s ideas about the lynx came to life

Posted - Mar 11, 2024


It started with the funds for reimbursing local people for travel expenses to attend meetings of the so-called Local Consultative Groups (LCGs). And then at the first meetings the idea came up – what if we could do something different with these funds? And we did.

At the following meetings, LCG members suggested different ideas on what we could do in their own neighbourhood related to the lynx. As expected, there were more good ideas than there were funds available. Therefore, we made a review of all the ideas proposed, and at the next meetings members voted for the ones they preferred . We implemented the ideas that received the most votes:

Additional field days for schools (they were carried out by the society Dinaricum in collaboration with the Biotechnical Faculty)

Three teaching information-boards on the lynx for three primary schools – Ob Rinži Primary School, Ivan Prijatel Sodražica Primary School and Dragotin Kette Primary School Ilirska Bistrica

The “Let’s Play with Lynx!” collection of activities for children – PDF with board games that you can easily prepare yourself, as well as ideas for activities in the forest and in the gym. Prepared by the teacher, Anja Kokalj.

Replicas of real skulls of lynx, wolf and bear – To compare the ecology, similarities and differences of these three species of large carnivores. They will be given to schools that are part of the Young Lynx Guardians programme.

Workshop for CŠOD (Outdoor learning centre) staff, sharing materials that can be useful for working with children and young people on rainy days

Participation of active LCG members at the final project conference in Zadar (with transport and accommodation costs covered)

A sound information-board for the Loški Potok Hunting Club’s Natural History Centre – with sound recordings of 20 species of animals that can be found in the forest

Apart from the delivery of replica skulls to schools and the sound information-board to the Loški Potok Hunting Club, the ideas of the LCG members have been implemented. We are glad that we were able to achieve something through the project that the local people have been actively involved in. Thank you to all for their cooperation!

Additional field days with NGO Dinaricum allowed pupils from five schools to explore outside the classroom. Photo: Simona Zorman

As one of the active members of the LPS, the teachers of the Young Lynx Guardians took part in the project’s final conference in Zadar and the field trip to Paklenica. Photo: LIFE Lynx

The noticeboard in Sodražica was set up in cooperation with the school and the municipality. Photo: LIFE Lynx

One of the board games from “Let’s Play with Lynx!” collection of activities for children. Photo: Anja Kokalj