87 also be integrated in school curricula and teaching packets will be tested, customised and localised to promote the integration of ecologically, economically and socially sustainable development. All interventions are planned as a series of design experiments, which will be documented and analysed for continual quality improvement. Outcomes and Achievements The initial collaboration between NatureGate and RCE Espoo is already an important outcome. Before NatureGate, people learned to identify species from field guides or from older people. NatureGate is an innovation based on more than two decades of accurate nature photography by Eija and Jouko Lehmuskallio, and their patented system and method for interactive species identification. NatureGate R&D Group of University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education, provides university level expertise and university level links to teachers and schools. All pre-service classroom teachers and biology subject teachers, as well as RCE Espoo affiliated teachers, have been taught how to use NatureGate online services for the identification of local species and to get knowledge about their sustainable use. to the teachers spread the message and encourage testing of the service. NatureGate has been presented to the most important persons of municipal and school administration. Not all of them are deeply interested in biodiversity, its sustainable use, species identification and the central role of them in promoting sustainable development. However, there is enough interest on the national and international level to spread this useful innovation. A part of this collaboration is the implementation of design experiments and testing of digital herbaria created at schools, linking the photographed species to NatureGate as much as possible to certify and to make checking of identification of photographed species easier. Collaborative learning is applied as often as possible. Traditionally people think that they are outside of nature. NatureGate teaches from viewpoint of biological sciences that humans are a part of nature, in particular a part of biosphere covering the Earth. It is aimed at social change in which people of all ages, from children to elderly people are united by their interest in local biodiversity, enjoying it and its sustainable use. Curricula will be reoriented in many ways including through the integration of NatureGate. Sustainability principles have from the beginning been integrated into both RCE Espoo and NatureGate. 12 This means the continual integration of ecologically, economically and socially sustainable development. Both promote sustainable living, lifelong learning, systemic thinking and systems thinking, learning to understand the world as the biggest system and countless other systems as parts of it. On the Earth, most if not all systems are interacting. There is a special R&D Group for research on RCE Espoo and, as part of this research, critical reflections and evaluations are implemented. For all active participants of RCE Espoo and NatureGate, the basic principles of high quality learning and thinking are taught and continually implemented (Åhlberg 1997; 2005; Åhlberg, Äänismaa, and Dillon 2005). Successes and Challenges NatureGate is a highly successful and unique site for interactive, easy and rapid identification of species. A user does not need to know any organism names. The user just makes accurate observations of the organisms and clicks accordingly. Icons are mostly selfinstructive. More information is linked to the key icons. Any selection can be reversed, the user may start from anywhere in the identification tool. NatureGate uses the patented system and method for interactive object (e.g. species) identification invented and patented by Eija and Jouko Lehmuskallio (Lehmuskallio & Lehmuskallio 2008a and 2008b). The core of NatureGate’s photos and descriptions are from more than two decades of professional nature photographs by Jouko Lehmuskallio. The photos of NatureGate have been taken in nature, in the natural habitats of each organism. The photos are both scientifically accurate and aesthetically enjoyed by nature lovers. It is often said that looking at NatureGate photos creates a calming and relaxing nature experience. The text is designed to promote lifelong learning. Experts of each field have checked the descriptive texts as well as the identification tool. There are plenty of photographs and expertise on different species in each area. The challenge is to get enough political will and funding to create local NatureGate servers all around the world. For Finland, the patented and unique NatureGate online service is crucially important, as evidenced by the support of different ministries and organisations, such as the UNESCO Committee of Finland. Too few people know about NatureGate due to a lack of advertisement and publicity. Through teacher education, however, the message is spreading.
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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