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The Canadian national parks, which were born and have developed in a geographical and economic and social and political context which is completely different from ours, reveal today the same contradictions, namely the opposition between the necessities of protection (parks as patrimoines ) and the imperatives of development (parks as touristic bases). However, Canada looks very much in advance in some fields, particularly due to the resort to a genuine methodology for the setting of parks and to a precise and efficient zoning of protected areas.

Most of the Canadians Nationals Parks include often some important equipments. Presently, the Banff National Park, Alberta, presents the result of the review by an Environmental Assessment Panel to upgrape 13 km. of the Trans-Canada-Highway to provide a four-lane, limited access divided highway. This example asks the question of the environmental impacts studies, her proceedings, inftuencies and finalities, facing the economics forces.

Tourism in National Parks points out the problem of the compatibility between protection of environnement and touristic traffic. The estimate of the traffic amount, of its distribution, the knowledge of the users' identity, motivations and behaviours allowe to know the impact on physical and social environnements. It shows a very feeble use of the potentialities of the places, a need of authenticity and rusticity which leads to many discorders and miscarriages. The Park administration has an important part to play in the users' education and in the pedagogy of the nature. It could be considered as one of its administration basis.

Environment, with is not just another school-subject, has become a matter of preoccupation for teachers. Its pedagogy wich is based on simple and accessible notions, is a « field » pedagogy necessitating active methods and pluridisciplinarity. This necessarily brings about difficulties in the life of the schools. The numerous experiments led in France as well as in other countries all point out to a strict methodical step of action, not excluding a variety of approches. Even though it uses the traditional pedagogical means, this « pedagogy of everyday life » opens on a new conception of our teaching to make of our students « Citizens of the World ».

After having presented the result of the past action in the French National Parks, as for as research is concerned, this article aims at putting forward the new tendances which result from the study of a leading diagram applying to research ; this diagram takes into account the needs of the parks — the study of which was focused on managers — and is elaborated from an interpark collaboration ; this diagram is now part of some of the national plans set up by the main research authorities.