Six proposals are introduced below for creative art+science, participatory and open approaches to environmental education and awareness in the Gulf of Finland Year 2014- / Baltic Sea region. They were first presented by Andrew Gryf Paterson at the Gulf of Finland Year Trilateral Environmental Education seminar, Tallinn, 28.2.2013, and are part of an ongoing dialogue and cooperation with Russian NGO Friends of the Baltic, based in St. Petersburg.

The aims of the proposals are to invigorate previous cultural association and environmental NGO work in the region, including recent Luonto-Liitto -led Itämeri-lahettilas toiminta (Baltic Sea Ambassadors activity); promote the role of trans-disciplinary collaborations, open solutions and systems-thinking; connect younger and experienced generations of environmentalists, combine old+new commons perspectives; and insist on ecological conservation+knowledge sustainability. It is also hoped they contribute to expanding the scope of the emergent Open Sustainabilitymovement, by integrating OpenGLAM (in Finland) and Open Education Resources initiatives.

1. Create new educational materials with participants, using creative participatory methods, for example using ‘sprint’ model, i.e. doing things fast, together, during the 2-3 days camps organised by trilateral environmental NGOs.
2. Offer creative art-science workshops in cooperation with trilateral environmental NGOs, based on shared-interests, for example ecological, river-water basin, agriculture and renewable energy issues, etc.
3. Educational training/mentorship for Environmental NGOs in Gulf of Finland / Baltic Sea Region to learn more about Open -Data, -Education, -Sustainability, and -GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums, ie. Culture)
4. Make accessible previously-made educational materials in digital formats, including graphics, diagrams, texts, and other data by negotiating with makers/copyright holders. This can be a selection from over a period of years, or a particular project or publication. Can be done in stages, testing & getting feedback in the process of what is useful and needed.
5. Contribute media (photos, videos, audio interviews and commentary) to commons-oriented repositories which promote open access, sharing and download of media materials.
6. Investigate & implement peer-to-peer ecologically sustainable ICT solutions for sharing materials.

If you are interested to contribute to the proposals, see elaboration, or add constructive comments, visit the related etherpad document.

Contact: Andrew Gryf Paterson | andrew [-at-] pixelache.ac

Note: Paterson, in addition to working for Pixelache, is also a member of Finnish Bioart Societysince 2011, and a new member of Open Knowledge Foundation Finland since 2013.