– In the guidebook we tried to tell about interesting geological routes in an easy-to-understand, for adult readers, language. Since our goal is that as many people as possible can learn about the geology of Karelia, which is incredibly interesting, I realized that we should start reaching out to children. The form should be comprehensible to them, very concise and entertaining", the director of the institute said.
The guides to the world of geology in the new book are four curious baby animals: a bear cub Mitya, a foxy Liza, a hoglet Igoryok, and a mole pup Anton. They travel to Mount Vottovaara, Girvas paleovolcano, Belaya Gora village, Chertov Stool locality, and other places of geological interest. In an entertaining way, the readers are introduced to some terminology and geological events in the history of our region.
– Children perceive our animals as a game. The learning process is thus turned into entertainment for them. At the same time, the knowledge we pass on is unobtrusive, adapted and scientific," Sergey Svetov added.
Director of the Institute of Geology KarRC RAS Sergey Svetov and artist Anna Danilova
Anna Danilova, an artist from Petrozavodsk, helped to create the images of the animals in the illustrations.
– I am currently keen on drawing comics and gladly accepted Sergey Svetov's proposal to work on the project. I was totally free to choose the style, the characters, the colors, which is great for any artist. In the process, I also learned a lot about Karelia, which made drawing all the more interesting. The fact that this edition is for children is another great thing. I myself don't want to grow up completely, I love children's stuff, and I have a feeling the kids are going to enjoy it, - Anna Danilova shared her impressions.
On October 5th the book was presented to its main audience. The authors gave a presentation for fifth graders at the Finno-Ugric School of Petrozavodsk. At the end of the meeting, the authors took a poll: should we continue and publish the second part of the book? The young readers unanimously supported the idea. This work is scheduled to start already in winter.
– If educational family tourism in Karelia grows by at least five percent, if more families take a weekend trip to Chertov Stool, Girvas and other easy-to-reach places to spend time together and see with their own eyes what an interesting place we live in from the geological point of view, to touch rocks, to gain impressions, this will be our major achievement. The last page of the book is about the importance of caring for the nature. We hope this appeal will also be heard. Finally, maybe some of the readers will decide to head for a scientific career," Sergey Svetov concluded.
The “Educative Travels of Karelian Animals” is a not-for-profit project. The book was printed by KarRC RAS Editing and Publishing Department with a limited circulation of 300 copies. The authors are now looking for ways to print more, so that every schoolchild in Karelia can get a free copy, and they are open to collaboration with interested organizations and relevant agencies. As of now, a digital version can be freely downloaded. The “Educative Travels of Karelian Animals” as well as the “Geological Heritage of Karelia” guidebook are in open access via the link.
In addition to basic and applied science, communicating geological knowledge to the public is an important area of activities for the Institute of Geology KarRC RAS. Let us remind that the institute also has the Museum of Precambrian Geology and The Achaean Young Geologists Club operating under its umbrella.
Photos by Viktoria Shvetsova / Sampo TV 360 channel