Notranjska Regional Park organized third research camp within the project LIFE 06/NAT/SLO/000069 Intermittent Cerknica Lake. The camp took place between 3rd and 12th July 2009 in Rakov Škocjan. The participants came from Cerknica, Begunje, Stari trg, Bloke, Ljubljana, Izola, Celje and also from Čabar (Croatia) and were aged between 14 and 17 years.

The main purpose of the camp was to research the area of Lake Cerknica from different natural aspects and to approach its nature as closely as it is possible to the participants of the camp.

Field work was taking place in the area of Lake Cerknica and its surroundings in six different work groups:

• Botanical group, that was sampling plant species in different plant communities and comparing their ecological characteristics;
• Group for bioindication of air pollution with epiphytic lichens, that was estimating the air quality on different locations by finding out which types of lichens grow in these locations;
• Group for water analyses, that was making chemical and biological analyses of watercourses of the Lake Cerknica;
• Group for inventory of cultural and natural heritage, that was making an inventory of cultural and natural heritage of Lake Cerknica and its surroundings and prepared a textual and image presentation of some visited points;
• Group for edible and medicinal herbs, that was searching and recognizing edible and medicinal herbs and making food or drinks from them and learning basis of surviving in nature;
• Photographical group, that was learning the basis of taking photos on nature objects and prepared a photo exhibition the last day of the camp

Participants have made final reports of their research work which they presented to their parents and invited guests on the last day of the camp.

In the evenings there were taking place lectures of different experts about Notranjska Regional Park and the project LIFE, moth-butterflies, bats, wetlands of the east Adriatic coast and roller (Coracias garullus) conservation activities in Austria (lecture in English).

There was also time for having fun and making new acquaintances within different sport and funny games, naturalistic and creative workshops and group trips as well. Participants visited Križna jama, Bloška planota and castle Snežnik.

Between 28th June and 4th July 2008, Notranjska regional park organized second research camp for primary and secondary school pupils, aged between 14 and 16. Participants of the camp were staying in Rakov Škocjan, but the field work was taking place in the area of Cerknica lake. The main purpose of the camp was to research the area of Cerknica lake from different natural aspects and to approach its nature as closely as it is possible to the participants of the camp.

Field work was taking place in the area of Lake Cerknica and its surroundings in six different work groups:

• Botanical group, that was sampling plant species in different plant communities and comparing their ecological characteristics;
• Group for bioindication of air pollution with epiphytic lichens, that was estimating the air quality on different locations by finding out which types of lichens grow in these locations;
• Group for water analyses, that was making chemical and biological analyses of watercourses of the Lake Cerknica;
• Group for inventory of cultural and natural heritage, that was making an inventory of cultural and natural heritage of Lake Cerknica and its surroundings and prepared a textual and image presentation of some visited points;
• Group for edible and medicinal herbs, that was searching and recognizing edible and medicinal herbs and making food or drinks from them and learning basis of surviving in nature;
• Photographical group, that was learning the basis of taking photos on nature objects and prepared a photo exhibition the last day of the camp

Participants were searching places where threatened plants grow (two groups), performing chemical and biological analyses of water in streams of Cerknica lake, searching for medicinal and edible herbs and researching Cerknica lake through the camera objective. They have made final reports of their research work which they presented to their parents and invited guests on the last day of the camp.

Some photos from the camp...