Philately’s Implications in Ecological Education via Romanian Thematic Joint Issues (I): with Other Countries Postal Administrations

Protected areas, as integral part of natural heritage, by their intrinsic value and low human intervention degree, are by far, the best examples for natural and semi-natural ecological systems. Protected areas are still perceived and considered true wild oasis which need protection for conservation of different unique species that populate them. Little is known about the fact that natural and semi-natural regime areas constitute livelihood support, and decisively contribute to socio-economical development of local and regional communities.

Constantly promoting philatelic themes involving the natural heritage, different philatelic postal entities and associations, all over the world, performs a series of postage issues, among which the preoccupations for environmental protection prevail.

In accordance with the previously stated, in this paper, is proposed an incursion into the history of environmental protection preoccupations, and bring in discussion the significant concerns in promoting ecological educational via thematic joint issues. So is presented the Romanian’s collaboration with countries like Argentina, Spain, Estonia and Gibraltar.

This study set out to identify, index and describe the main philatelic pieces issued in Romania, from the beginning of issuing in this field. Likewise, a huge numbers of pictorial data was used (postal stamps, first day covers, occasional envelopes, postcards and maxicards), from different international open-source philatelic databases, as well as from specialized catalogs and collections.

The analysis and interpretation of this kind of pictorial data was the main objective of study, based on the descriptions made by other collectors and philatelists, respectively by consulting other sources and specialized catalogs. As a result, this study has succeeded in identifying the pieces in question, and shows they come to certify the common concerns for the environmental protection, from mountain lakes to species of flora and fauna.

In conclusion it can be mentioned that this study therefore recommends the use of the ecology and science classes, where young people can come into direct contact with the described philatelic pieces (postal stamps and first day covers - FDCs, in most cases), and thus can fully understand the specificities of external collaborations on environmental protection and sustainable development.