The forest is a classroom. Trees are the wonders of our world. Each one can speak to us. Therefore, it invites us to listen. Let us enter the chamber of the mystery of the trees with a book and words.
The organisers of the Forest Libraries project, the Slovenian Forest Service, the Tourist Association of Slovenia, the SIAE and the Forestry Library (Slovenian Forestry Institute) are planning a forest reading event on 27 September, World Tourism Day.
In this way, we aim to promote reading culture in Slovenia and raise awareness about the importance of reading for the lives of individuals and society. We encourage reflection on the importance of reading for pleasure, and especially on the social aspect of sharing books and reading in public spaces. Reading books in the forest has a particularly beneficial effect on our mental and emotional development, as in peace and quiet, with only the sounds of the forest, we can connect with ourselves and the story we are reading. Both reading and the forest improve well-being, reduce stress, calm the mind and encourage observation and curiosity.
The first forest library in Slovenia was established at the Herbal Centre of South-Eastern Slovenia in Škocjan.
We will hold the main event there and highlight the importance of forests as a vital source of renewable energy and raw materials, as well as their impact on the entire environment and population.
The public will be informed about the various (innovative) opportunities that tourism offers in our country. We will use this opportunity to foster collaboration and connections among institutions, groups and individuals in the development of rural areas, tourism and the economy. We will also participate in the National Month of Joint Reading, which will focus on reading in public spaces this year.
The Prešeren Award winner Ciril Horjak contributed the image for the Forest Libraries project.
We encourage adult education organisations, associations, groups and other institutions to organise a reading-related event on Friday, 27 September 2024, at 5 p.m. in the nearest forest, for example, along a learning or thematic trail. Events could include setting up a forest library, public reading of literature in the forest, a storytelling evening, book presentations, fairy tales for children or something similar. You might even organise a visit to a forest library or a fairy-tale trail outside your area.
We invite you to collaborate with local kindergartens, schools, retirement homes, intergenerational centres, daycare centres, public libraries, publishing houses, municipalities and other interested parties to prepare an event in your local area that will bring the community together through reading.
All the information about events organised as part of the initiative will be gathered on a special website of the Tourist Association of Slovenia.
Alenka Štrukelj (alenka.strukelj@acs.si), SIAE external collaborator
