기후 위기의 시대, 국립생태원이 그리는 공존과 회복의 청사진 > K-wave Trends

The NIE’s ambitious special exhibition, "Forest Reborn, Land of Regeneration," is a record that vividly demonstrates how destroyed nature undergoes its own healing process. The core of the exhibition is to impress upon the public that a disaster like a forest fire is not an end, but a turning point where a new ecosystem begins. By centering on deadwood brought directly from fire-damaged areas in Sancheong, Gyeongnam, and arranging early-settler plants like oak trees and mosses, the exhibition three-dimensionally illustrates how a forest regains its vitality over 30 years. Beyond a mere visual display, it presents scientific evidence based on ecological restoration research, evoking a deep sense of awe in visitors regarding nature's remarkable resilience.

Innovation in education that transcends spatial limitations is becoming a vital channel for internalizing ecological values in children and teenagers. The children's musical presented by the NIE’s Endangered Species Restoration Center in cooperation with Yeongyang-gun moves away from traditional one-way lectures. Using a friendly character—the Siberian flying squirrel—it conveys the importance of carbon neutrality and biodiversity through song and dance. This approach transforms environmental protection from dry knowledge into a joyful cultural experience, motivating future generations to contemplate and practice environmental solutions in their daily lives. Their commitment to developing educational content closely tied to the local community as an environmental education center for Yeongyang-gun is a model case for spreading ecological values.

The NIE’s reach is extending deeper into urban centers, strengthening the ecological literacy of Seoul citizens. The "Seobu Park Ecological Education Insight 2.0" program, conducted in partnership with the Seoul Seobu Parks and Recreation Center, has transformed parks within our daily radius, such as World Cup Park and Boramae Park, into living classrooms. In this program, NIE researchers and experts in various fields work directly in the field, observing birds, aquatic plants, and urban wildlife with citizens. This contributes significantly to restoring the health of urban ecosystems and raising public awareness in response to the climate crisis, serving as an important attempt to realize that nature is not far away, but right at our doorstep.

The NIE’s efforts to foster future ecological talent are also clearly visible in the career exploration process for teenagers. By encouraging students to research and seek solutions for pressing issues like wetland conservation through the "Ecological Club Research Competition," the institute is cultivating future experts equipped with problem-solving skills beyond simple knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, the ecological career camp for students at Seocheon Girls' Middle School allows them to experience specific professions such as ecologists, researchers, and environmental educators, providing opportunities for students to design their futures around the value of the environment. This educational approach proves that the environment is not just a moral imperative, but an essential career path and a field for value creation in future society.

The series of activities carried out by the NIE are organically connected, ranging from the macroscopic perspective of restoring fire-damaged areas to the microscopic approach of children's musicals and urban ecological education. Diverse programs—including exhibitions, performances, field research, and career experiences—deliver tailored messages to different audiences, rooting ecological sensitivity throughout our society. In particular, the NIE’s strong competitiveness lies in its ability to increase accessibility through cooperation with local educational institutions and to secure credibility by combining research data with real-world field applications. These activities are essentially the starting point of a long journey to find the answer to how humans and nature can coexist.