PRESS RELEASE: A valued partnership and a commitment to life on our planet

Environment Online (ENO) and Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) have a long partnership history on annual tree-planting events, with the organisations joining forces to address sustainable development and environmental education around the world. The goals of the organisations are similar: to promote sustainable development in schools and communities and to raise awareness of the important role forests play in sustaining all life on our planet.

ENO - Environment Online is a global community of schools and communities for sustainable development and, together with the message to concretize learning. ENO builds towards responsibility - in the local communities and schools online, locally and globally. It is coordinated by the ENO Schoolnet Association in Joensuu, Finland. In ENO, thousands of schools around the world study together environmental issues, spread awareness and make concrete deeds for the environment. Tree planting has been the most popular activity in Environment Online since its launch in 2000. To date, February 2021, the ENO community has planted over 30 million trees. Over 10,000 schools from over 150 countries have participated in ENO activities.

“We can always do and achieve more through collaboration! Both ENO and FEE have strong networks and this partnership is very likely to spark up new ideas for activities in the schools and communities.”

— Kaija Saramäki, Chairman of the Board, ENO

Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is the world's largest environmental education organisation, with members in 77 countries. Through its five groundbreaking programmes, FEE empowers people to take meaningful and purposeful action to help create a more sustainable world. Learning about Forests (LEAF) is one of the five programmes run by FEE. LEAF advocates outdoor learning and hands-on experiences, which result in the pupils getting a deeper and more involved understanding of the natural world. While the focus of the LEAF programme is on tree-based ecosystems, the skills and knowledge acquired can be applied to any natural environment. LEAF reaches today over 10,000 schools in 26 countries globally and engages nearly 1 million students and 400,000 teachers.

“With this agreement, ENO and FEE are expressing their determination to work closer together and to provide both networks with the value and opportunities this partnership can provide. We look forward to supporting teachers and students around the world to connect with forests, their importance, realise the existential threats being faced and inspire them to protect them through hands-on, experiential and quality environmental education.”

—  Pramod Kumar Sharma, FEE Senior Director of Education

The renewed Memorandum of Understanding aims to continue and strengthen the collaboration between ENO and FEE, and to connect two powerful networks that complement each other well. The organisations agree to continue their collaboration in spreading awareness of sustainable development and environmental education through actions including joint participation in events, activities, campaigns, training and capacity building.

ENO Schoolnet Association                                         Foundation for Environmental Education

Kaija Saramäki                                                                   Nicole Andreou

E: kaija.saramaki@enoprogramme.org                    E: nicole@fee.global   

W: www.enoprogramme.org                  W: www.fee.global

Colegio Santa Francisca Romana, Colombia leading a reforestation project!

After their visit to the local waterfall in Bogotá, Colombia, our students from Colegio Santa Francisca Romana found out how polluted the local river was, and how that was deeply affecting the entire zone in terms of deforestation and habitat loss.

The students wanted to do something about it! Watch this video, and hear their plan!

The Biodiversity Garden Project from South Africa

To celebrate World Environmental Day, Dawn Park Primary School in the East of Johannesburg, South Africa started a biodiversity garden project on 5 June 2019, by planting over 10 trees including succulents and shrubs. The project involved 20 students (aged from 9 to 11), 15 volunteers, and 10 teachers at the school.

The garden project is being used as a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy by the school. Through research, students know the names and importance of the plants in their garden. The school has a Biodiversity garden that is being used as an outdoor classroom to do practical activities with students, directly linked to the curriculum.

Boksburg in the East of Johannesburg, the school community is large, with 1,737 students and 45 teachers, and is situated in the grassland’s biome. The school had previously worked on other environmentally related activities in their efforts to start an environmental club. It is an opportunity to introduce the LEAF programme to give structure and support to their projects.

The school was joined by the South African National Biodiversity Institute and volunteers from Italtile and the Department of Education officials and the activity was planned by WESSA together with the teachers and groundsman at the school.

A group of volunteers worked with grade 6 students to plant a biodiversity garden at the school. There was a lesson on food chains and how everything is connected in the garden, the relationship between trees and water, and how people benefit from the ecosystem done by WESSA.

Another group of grades 6 students was responsible for naming and making tags for the trees that were planted on the day. Students were also asked to prepare tree characteristics and share Indigenous knowledge and stories of the shrubs/trees that we planted.

Challenges: Johannesburg was experiencing a drought.

“We worried about the school being able to maintain their garden beyond the day of the event. If we could change anything about this project, we would prefer to work on the initiative during high rainfall season September- March.”

Fulfilling the LEAF objectives through impact!

Students enjoyed being outdoors and learned better by doing, they also related the lessons on the day to what was already covered in class.

Teachers gained skills development. They were guided by our team on how to use alternative teaching methods in the garden to ensure maximum understanding of subjects such as Natural Science, literature and Mathematics.

Increased knowledge amongst teachers and students on indigenous plants and succulents.

New Course on FEE Academy!

JOIN FEE ACADEMY FOR OUR NEW COURSE ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

We are proud to announce the launch of a new course on Foundation for Education’s (FEE) online learning platform, FEE Academy. Our Education team has worked hard on creating a course that introduces learners to the basic foundations of Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including the origins of EE and ESD and the educational processes connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The course offers lots of insights and tools from experts in the fields of EE and ESD.

The development of this course is supported by the North American Association for Environmental Education EE30U30 Changemaker Grants, with the aim to support our network of teachers and programme managers with the implementation of their ESD programmes. If you are a National Operator, a teacher working with Environmental Education, or part of our network looking to learn more about EE and/or ESD – then this is the course for you.

As FEE Academy is still a new platform, we appreciate all the feedback we can get. We are continuously improving the quality and content of the courses based on the feedback we receive from you, the learners.

Enrolment for the course starts on 1 March and runs until 18 April. The course is self-paced and is set to take approximately 5-6 hours.

Want to join? Go to FEE Academy and create an account. Once you are a confirmed user, you can log into FEE Academy, go to the Eco-Schools section and enrol in the course. It’s that simple! While you are there be sure to also look at our upcoming courses.

We hope to see you in class!

- The FEE Education team

Press Release: Learning about Forests celebrates its 20th Anniversary!

Copenhagen, 7 October 2020

This year, Learning about Forests (LEAF), celebrates its 20th anniversary. The story of LEAF begins in 1999, when Norway, Sweden and Finland rolled out the Forest in Schools programme. In 2000, Forest in Schools became global, implemented by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and converted into the LEAF programme as we know it today. The founding countries still play a major role in the development of the programme, as members of the LEAF International Steering Committee.

LEAF’s goal is to increase the level of awareness and knowledge about the key role forests play for diverse life forms and human livelihood on our planet. It promotes outdoor education, aiming to engage children in spending time in the forest, experiencing and observing nature, understanding the ecological web, as well as in the relationship between humans and nature, through hands-on activities, thus enabling them to make informed decisions and take responsibility for their future. The programme supports positive actions to achieves Sustainable Development Goals. 

“The LEAF programme is so important because it allows us to physically engage children with the environment in a world where this seems less and less common. Learning about Forests is not only a moto, it is a way to get an emotional connection to nature that in many cases develops into a lifelong experience and affection”, says Daniel Schaffer, FEE CEO.

LEAF celebrates and promotes students’ connection to nature, which can be beneficial for children in cognitive and affective ways, leading to the improvement of attention retention, mood and health, and instilling a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment.

“LEAF is a powerful educational tool, especially in this time of environmental and health crisis, because it emphasises the role of forests as arcs for biodiversity, carbon sinks and lungs for the planet, providers of natural resources and products, as well as ecosystem services; it also highlights their cultural significance and their intrinsic connection with human health and prosperity” says Nikos Petrou, FEE Board Member overseeing LEAF.

In 2020, LEAF reaches nearly 1 million students and over 40,000 teachers in over 10,000 schools globally! We look forward to the next 20 years to come!

Norway: new curriculum - new possibilities

In Norway, new national school curriculum is in development, and will be valid from autumn next year. Is this something that should be of interest to the forest industry and forest pedagogues? The answer should be yes.

Tomorrow’s decision-makers

If it is in our interest to communicate about forest activities and the values of the forest, then the answer should be yes. Forestry, like other industries, is dependent on acceptance and understanding from the general public. An ever-lower proportion of the population is associated with primary industries, which gives less knowledge about raw material utilization and the different aspects of forest management. This leads to a growing need for communication with the public.

The climate changes are now referred to as the climate crisis, and the need for sustainable solutions is urgent. The preservation of ecosystems and the role of the forest is of concern to people in general.

If we can be a provider of facts, hands-on experiences and teaching material for the schools, then we have an opportunity to convey the different values of the forest to the younger generation. The school as an arena for communication, offers an opportunity to convey a comprehensive understanding of forestry. Every year new pupils start at school. These pupils are tomorrow's employees, tomorrow's consumers, and tomorrow's decision-makers.

In order to be recognized as a serious actor and a relevant provider to the schools, it must be done on the school's premises. What we offer to the schools, should be an integrated part of the education. Thus, if we wish to be present in schools, the first step is to read the school curriculum.

The needs in a changing society

The curriculum describes what knowledge and skills the pupil is supposed to acquire in different subjects. More importantly, the curriculum defines which competences the pupil is thought to need in the future. In this sense, the school curriculum reflects the needs of the society.

The new curriculum in Norway addresses three interdisciplinary themes: democracy and citizenship, public health and life management, and sustainable development. These are not separate subjects, but socially relevant issues that must be integrated in appropriate subjects.

““Pupils will gain insight into challenges and dilemmas within the topics. They will understand how we can find solutions through knowledge and collaboration, and they will learn about the connections between actions and consequences.” ”

The technological development and the changes in the society are at a higher pace than ever before. The school cannot provide pupils with all the knowledge they need. The curriculum therefore emphasizes that pupils need to a set of skills, like the ability to acquire new knowledge and to assess sources. Critical thinking and reflection should be tools to separate fakes from facts, and to form their own opinions and make educated choices. In an ever more complex world, they must try to seek the holistic perspective. And finally, through collaboration they must find solutions together.

No doubt, this is not an easy task. When autumn 2020 comes, all teaching will be done according to new curricula. The schools need to make plans for their educational programmes, and many teachers will search for learning resources.

The role of the forest

Sustainable development is a central theme in the new curricula, a complex theme. The good news is that, with forestry as an example, the pupils may study this in their nearby forest: They can investigate the biodiversity of the forest, perform a local survey how people use the forest, and join a forester to study the management of this forest.

By offering solid teaching programmes, forestry can show an industry that comprises all the elements of sustainable development: Environment, Society, Economy. Or, if you like, the three Ps: Planet, People, Profit. With the forest as a case, the pupils can see an industry which meets the demands of the public, and the challenges of the future. Through democratic processes, consumer power has led to certification of timber, which imposes a focus on the environmental and social values of the forest. Through research, the forest industry is continuously developing new and intelligent utilizations for timber. Modern forestry provides an efficient carbon sink and a renewable resource. In Norway, an increasing number of buildings, bridges and houses are constructed of solid wood, an asset to both the indoor climate and the world’s climate.

Through good teaching programmes adapted to the needs of the school, forest industry and forest pedagogues may tell the story of the forest. The story of the forest and the many roles it may play in our modern society.

Please, contact Anna Lena Albertsen for further details.

ala@skogkurs.no

Project manager

Forestry Extension Institute

Norway

News from Norway! The 2019 Forest Games

With inspiration from the Forest Olympics in Latvia, the Forest Games were established in Norway in 2015. Four different forest and nature school organisations cooperate, with the Forest Extension Institute leading the work.

The aim of the Forest Games is to increase knowledge of forests, and to create more physical activity in school. Teachers and pupils are encouraged to use their local forest during school hours, not only for hiking and playing, but also as a “class room”.

This year, the Forest Games were conducted at the national level for the third time, in Norway. All pupils in 5th grade were invited to participate, and 126 schools accepted the invitation. As a total 2360 pupils were involved in the event during 2019.

The participating schools received two different challenges: one in January with snow and winter, and one in April with spring. The first task was a nature trail that invited to pondering and wondering! The next challenge gave the schools six different tasks to choose from. While the first one was easy, the second challenge demanded quite a lot of dedication from the participating schools. Feedback from the teachers showed that although they already used the forest quite a lot, they learned a lot and got many new ideas about how they could teach about the forest to their pupils. Many of the schools also had forest days with their local Forestry Societies, which gave them an extra motivation and inspiration.

“Our experience is that the teachers had very busy days. If they had to participate in an event like this, it must be more than an event. It must be in accordance with the school curriculum. ”

All the schools were given individual feedback on their work. Seventeen schools qualified for the finals, which was held at the Norwegian Forest Museum on 5 June 2019. Many of the participants came the night before, giving them the opportunity to spend the night in an old forest hut or in a lavvu (sami tent).

The finals consisted of both practical and theoretical tasks, such as recognizing tree species, wading over a river, measuring the height of a tree, determining the age of the tree, recognising bird sounds, making various knots, building wooden bridges, and finding English names for different insects.

“Our experience is that The Forest Games is a good way for different organisations to cooperate, and to work towards the same goals. It is also a good way to inspire and motivate teachers to involve forests and forestry actively in their teaching.

Bjørn Helge Bjørnstad, Project coordinator at Forestry Extension Institute”

If you want to know more about our Norwegian LEAF member, please use this link.

LEAF Director is going to the 14th European Forest Pedagogics Congress 2019

The European Forest Pedagogics Congress is organised annually to provide a platform for the exchange of experiences and for the discussion of currently relevant topics or challenges for forest pedagogy in Europe. Barry McGonigal, our International LEAF director will be there, in Latvia, from July 1st to 4th.

This year, the central theme of the Congress 2019 is DESIGNING BRIDGES BETWEEN FOREST AND SCHOOLS. How to link the forest pedagogy programmes and regular schools? How can forest educators and teachers cooperate on pupils' learning?

The key-note speakers will be Tomass Kotovičs, Prof. Robert Vogl and Ph.D. Jan Froněk who is coordinating the #Learningaboutforests programme in Czech Republic.

Ph.D. Jan Froněk is a teacher-trainer from TEREZA Educational centre, Czech Republic. Besides coordinating the international "Learning about forest" (LEAF) programme among 380 Czech schools, he also teaches social psychology at Charles University in Prague and runs coaching trainings for school headteachers. His key-note speech will be based on interaction with the audience:

• How to link the forest pedagogy programmes and the regular school? Both forest pedagogues and school teachers are invited to share their ideas.

• What makes forest education successful? It is presumed that efficient outdoor learning event must be well planned, well structured and well reflected on and followed up at school. Isolated events are less useful. However, there is seemingly lack of real life examples available.

• So let´s come up with some good examples from various countries to share and inspire new ideas of how to make the learning connections stronger for children

If you want to know more about the key-note speakers, please follow this link.

“The annual Forest Pedagogics Conference brings together forest education practitioners from across Europe for the exchange of best practices and demonstrations of new teaching techniques. Once again a LEAF member will be hosting this fantastic event and it is my privilege as LEAF Director to be able to support them and learn more to help achieve our aims.”

— Barry McGonigal, International LEAF Director

In this link, you can find all the information about the 14th European Forest Pedagogics Congress´programme, venue and accommodation, organizers and supporters, as well as upcoming workshops and market of activities.

LEAF at the European Forum on Urban Forestry

Barry McGonigal went to the European Forum on Urban Forestry (EFUF) in Cologne, Germany, to put environmental education on the map for Urban Forests. Together with Prof. Sylvie Nail of the University of Nantes, he presented a recently-designed project aimed at giving students an opportunity to learn about environmental challenges and good practices in Europe.

Full of energy – this is how the 22nd European Forum on Urban Forestry started from Tuesday May 21, 2019. The city of Cologne welcomed around 150 participates from all over Europe at the German Sport University Cologne. Policy planners, decision-makers, practitioners, researchers and representatives from different stakeholder groups of urban forest management came together to exchange views and to share knowledge.

EFUF emphasizes the connection of practice and scientific knowledge, encouraging a variety of possible formats to contribute to the conference. 

That’s why our International LEAF director went there with his colleague Sylvie Nail from the University of Nantes, France, to share practices and knowledge about education for sustainable development and environmental education. Together, they presented a blueprint for international networking for environmental education from the perspective of schools and universities.

In 2019, the FAO chose « Forests and Education » has the main theme to celebrate the International Day of Forests. Thus, it was important to put environmental education on the map for urban forests and underline the capacity for urban forests to act as educational centers for those unable to make it to the countryside.

Barry McGonigal and Prof. Nail presented a two-fold approach in relation to young people’s environmental education.

First, they underlined the outdoor learning methodology developed by the LEAF programme and how it engages students and teachers to learn outdoors in nature and experience a reconnection to the natural world.

Then, they presented a work-in-progress project aimed at giving all the students of a university an opportunity to learn about environmental challenges and good practices in Europe, so as to be informed and responsible citizens. Indeed, the goal is to build a student network so as to promote good practices and concretely develop more initiatives for sustainability in each university.

“The literature linking exposure to natural settings and decreased mental and physical health issues is overwhelming,” says LEAF Director Barry McGonigal. “Providing oases of forested calm throughout our cities and towns should be as intrinsic a component as any when it comes to city planning. Used in conjunction with the LEAF programme, any green areas established in urban areas can act as outdoor educational hubs for schoolchildren, providing a refuge for outdoor learning in a meditative and calming space. Urban forest planners need to bear in mind the potential for their projects to address outdoor education and offer another vital service through these sites.”

You can have a look at their all PowerPoint presentation here.

You can also have a look at environmental education scientific references here.

LEAF network celebrates Outdoor Classroom Day

Students celebrated Outdoor Classroom Day

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play. On May 23, 2019, thousands of schools around the world took their lessons outdoors and prioritised playtime. 

Outdoor learning improves children’s health, engages them with learning and leads to a greater connection with nature. Play not only teaches critical life skills such as resilience, teamwork and creativity, but is central to children’s enjoyment of childhood. 

There are plenty of benefits when you teach children outside the classroom. For instance, an outdoor learning:

• Improves creative thinking.

• Helps with subject understanding.

• Promotes self-awareness and respect.

• Encourages social interactions and helps build healthy relationships.

• Encourages a healthy lifestyle.
  

  To commemorate Outdoor Classroom Day, our LEAF member Ramona Mercieca from Gozo, Malta, shared how they celebrated the day.
  
  ”Our LEAF students had an outdoor lesson in a public garden close to our school. Students carried out various activities among which they made cloud observations and recorded weather elements using Lab disc through the GLOBE program, sat quiet for a few minutes to listen to the sound of nature and also did a tree hugging exercise. Through these actions and related projects the students learnt how important trees are to our planet and hugging them has many benefits such as filling you with positive energy and boosting your mood,” said Ramona Mercieca, Eco-Schools/LEAF link teacher.

To get more news about LEAF Malta, we invite you to read this article “Learning made fun in the great outdoors”, from the Times Malta newspaper.

LEAF MALTA, an international school and forest programme: https://www.leafmalta.org/

To know more and get involved in the next Outdoor Classroom Day, please have a look at Outdoor Classroom Day webpage.

LEAF will be at the European Forum on Urban Forestry

Barry McGonigal will spread the word about environmental education at the 22nd European Forum on Urban Forestry

The 22nd European Forum on Urban Forestry (EFUF) will take place in Cologne, Germany, from May 22nd to May 24th. During this international forum, researchers and urban forests professionals gather to share their scientific knowledge and good practices.

Since 20 years, EFUF is a unique meeting place for forest and greenspace managers, planners, architects, researchers, public authorities and policy makers to share interdisciplinary experience and good practices within the field of urban greening, urban forests and urban forestry.

2019 European Forum on Urban Forestry - Website of the European Forum on Urban Forestry Association

>> Our international LEAF director, Barry McGonigal, will attend this forum to promote the Learning about Forests programme. Indeed, nowadays, more children are growing up in cities and it is crucial to emphasize environmental education for them… and us! Barry will spread the word about the positive psychological impacts of the LEAF activities, as well as the formal approach of our programme. As scientific papers already proved it, it is necessary to expose children to nature, to raise environmental awareness and literature.

This year, “Forest and Education” is the main theme of the FAO, that´s why is is important for us to attend such an international forum. Urban forests professionals should think about children as a target audience too, when they create plans to make cities greener.

“The coupling between mental health and access to green space in your local area is something that should be considered even more in urban planning to ensure greener and healthier cities and improve mental health of urban residents in the future” Professor Jens-Christian Svenning from the Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University

To know more about green spaces and healthy cities, we advice you to read this article: Being surrounded by green space in childhood may improve mental health of adults.

The FEE Annual Report for 2018 is ready!

discover LEAF successes for 2017-2018 through our FEE annual report

The Foundation for Environmental Education has just published its Annual Report for 2018. As always, the developments, achievements and impacts on both national and international level of all FEE programmes are pointed out.

In 2018, FEE has grown across the world reinforcing our truly global presence, strengthened by its geographic, social and cultural diversity.

>> For example, Learning about Forests expanded its membership base with new countries joining the network in Latin-America and Africa. LEAF welcomed on board Brazil and Mexico, as well as Tanzania. These countries proved themselves extremely adept at implementing LEAF and their contributions will no doubt be important.

In 2018, LEAF also attended high-level events during the year including the World Forum on Urban Forests in Italy, and the Forest Pedagogics Conference in Finland.

Attending such events helps to raise LEAF’s profile and enables valuable contacts to made.

LEAF facts for 2017-2018

• More than 30 000 teachers participate in the LEAF programme

• LEAF will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in 2020

• Nearly 700 000 students participate in the LEAF programme

• Drawn from the FAO’s Forestry Department, LEAF’s theme for 2019 is Forests and Education

• From 2017 to 2018, three new countries and more than 90 000 students joined the LEAF programme

Do you want to know more? Have a look on our 2018 FEE Annual Report!

Picture from LEAF Ireland.

LEAF National Operators Meeting 2019

FOREST EDUCATORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD gathered in LIMERICK, ireland, for the annual meeting

March, 2019 – LEAF Ireland was delighted to host the annual LEAF National Operators Meeting 2019, which took place in Castleconnell, Co. Limerick over three days, March 26 - 28. The Learning about Forests (LEAF) programme is operated in Ireland by An Taisce; the Irish member of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE); an international non-profit aimed at promoting sustainable development through environmental education.

Delegates from twenty-eight countries including Mongolia, Malaysia, Brazil, Tanzania and many more, arrived in the village of Castleconnell, Co. Limerick, on Tuesday 26th night to take part in the international conference on forest education.

The conference agenda focused on the psychological impact of the LEAF programme and highlighted the Sustainable Development Goals and their connection to the LEAF programme. The delegates visited several Limerick schools who are leading the way in forest education and celebrated International Day of Forests and National Tree Week by planting 40 native Irish trees in Coillte’s Curragh Chase Forest Park.

The international conference provided an opportunity for LEAF National Operators to exchange best practice experiences, participate in professional development sessions and make their contributions to the development of the LEAF programme. National Operators are responsible for programme development in their own country.

As LEAF Ireland entered the 3rd and final year of the pilot programme, which is being run in 36 primary and secondary schools in Co. Limerick, hosting the international conference provided a fantastic opportunity to show case the wonderful work of LEAF schools across Limerick City and County.

>> The LEAF programme reconnects students with the natural world.

The programme is designed for schools and encourages environmental education through awareness raising and action among students, teachers and the wider community. The programme looks at all the functions of forests: ecological, social, economic and cultural.

Rachel Geary, LEAF Coordinator for Ireland stated:

“We are so proud to welcome our colleagues from around the world and are feeling inspired by their commitment to educate students about the multifunctional benefits of forests. Furthermore, we were delighted to celebrate our National Tree Week with them by planting 40 native trees in Coillte’s Curragh Chase Forest Park.”

Barry McGonigal, International LEAF Director stated:

 “Showcasing the incredible work of the LEAF Ireland team over the past three years, the undoubted highlight of the 2019 National Operators Meeting has been the visit to participating LEAF schools and the infectious enthusiasm for the programme which was so readily evident. From the dedication of the LEAF Ireland team to the commitment of the educators on the ground, there was no shortage of inspiring messages and activities for our members to take back to their countries. A magnificent meeting!”

Photographer: Clare Keogh.

For media queries, please contact rgeary@eeu.antaisce.org

BOS+ Erasmus+ Project: Green Learning Environments

Policy recommendations for employing green environments as enabling learning environments

In the past 2 years and a half, our Belgian member BOS+ has been working on the Erasmus+ project: Green Learning Environments. The project has lead to some very significant results for what concern the benefits of playing and learning in nature for children's psychological and physiological well-being.

In the following text, provided to us by BOS+, you can find out more about this very relevant research.

There is a place
Where children who have never walked, find freedom
Where children who have never talked, find words
And more often than not, where every child finds a smile
 

Playing and learning in forest and nature stimulates the imagination, creativity and entrepreneurship. Besides, nature is a great place to gain experience for the development of social and motor skills. The positive impact of a green learning environment is even more significant when working with children with cognitive disabilities, learning disorders, attention disabilities (such as ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders. In an informal natural environment, these children learn better than in a classroom. A green learning environment therefore increases their chances in society meaningfully. From this determination, EFUF partners BOS+ (Belgium), GOZDIS (Slovenian Forestry Institute) and Merseyforest (UK), together with schools and partners from Slovenia and England, has been executing the Green Learning Environments project, with co-funding from the ERASMUS+ programme from the European Commission. 
 
Based on the experiences and expertise gathered during the three year project, the project has published a Policy Brief. With this document they aim to raise awareness on the concept of Green Learning Environments and the positive impacts of green environments on learning outcomes for children with mental disabilities. The brief starts with sketching the background and some scientific evidence on the topic, describes obstacles for implementing green learning with children with mental issues, sketches the project findings, and ends with recommendations for practice and policy.
 
The policy recommendations are particularly interesting, as they sketch how joint efforts by the education and urban greening sectors can ameliorate the lives of children with special educational needs. These recommendations include:
 

• Non-formal learning activities in green learning environments should become part of the educational system for all children in Europe.

• The education systems across Europe should look to provide support for more green learning, including increasing awareness regarding the benefits of learning in natural environment, the creation of sites for teaching in the natural environment and signposting to organisation that can provide support (Jelen, 2018).

• Learning and spending time in green learning environments can make an important contribution to the increased social inclusion of children with special needs. Green learning environments promote the skills and competences that are important for lifelong learning and the social inclusion of all children.

• Accessible green should be provided close to schools. Where possible it should be provided within school grounds to allow as many children as possible to enjoy a green learning environment.  

Next to the policy brief, the project also published a searchable database with good examples, a  toolbox for teachers and educators, and a comprehensive pedagogical approach that includes interesting background information about the advantages of green learning environments. 

LEAF Director Barry McGonigal attends 13th European Pedagogics Congress

The 13th European Forest Pedagogics Congress was held in Pudasjärvi, Finland from 2-5 October, and LEAF Director Barry McGonigal was among the 100 international forest pedagogues from 17 countries in attendance. The theme of the 2018 Congress, which was hosted by the Finnish Forest Association and the Finnish 4H Federation, was “Together - How to involve and participate children and youth in learning, decision making and planning.”

Based in Pikku-Syöte amidst the stunning Finnish landscape, I experienced the warmth of Finnish hospitality, including being welcomed to Pudasjärvi Log Campus where the world-famous quality of the Finnish educational system was on display in the incredible surroundings of the world’s largest log structure. -Barry McGonigal

Barry’s participation in the congress was an opportunity for him to collaborate with dedicated forest pedagogues from around the world and to apply what he learned to the development of the LEAF programme. According to Barry, he “gained valuable insights into how to engage students in active outdoor learning: whether exercising muscles or grey matter, the essential element was fostering a connection to the environment.”

In keeping with the theme of the 2018 event, this was the first year that youth were invited to participate. The Congress was held at the Pikku-Syöte Youth and Leisure Centre and the Pudasjärvi Log Campus, giving local youth the chance to join the pedagogues in various outdoor workshops. These activities highlighted the importance of enlisting youth in the formulation and implementation of forest pedagogy. As the world’s future decision-makers, young people must be taught to engage with nature and cultivate a sense of ownership over the environment.

One workshop that particularly resonated with Barry concerned the wide variety of forest products and how they can be used sustainably. He was introduced to new wood technologies including pine ice-cream, cloth spun from processed timber offcuts, a wood-based cast to set broken bones that has replaced traditional plaster in all of Finland’s hospitals, and plastic products made from nanocellulose to replace traditional plastic products.

In addition to the workshops and outdoor activities, the Congress also featured keynote addresses from four distinguished speakers. A common theme among the speeches was the need for greater youth participation in learning and how pedagogues can achieve this goal.

Barry would like to sincerely thank the Finnish 4H Federation along with Sirpa Kärkkäinen and the entire team at the Finnish Forest Association for hosting him at the Congress. The 14th European Pedagogics Congress will take place next year in Latvia.

All photos by Vilma Issakainen, Finnish Forest Association

Two Inspiring LEAF Events from Turkey

Trees are our Legacy

72 LEAF students and 30 educators from Eskisehir 1. Hava Ikmal Bakim Merkezi Primary School in Turkey recently had the opportunity to participate in a four-day Nature Training Camp held at the Kizilay Hasirca Camp from 26-30 July 2018. The theme of the training camp was "Let Trees be our Trace, Let the Climate not Change."

The purpose of the event was to use nature-based activities to build participants’ awareness of the importance of forests in mitigating the impacts of climate change. These activities included games, art projects, sports, experiments, book readings and seminars, all aimed at engaging students and educators with the relationship between forests and climate change.

TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) conducted the training camp as one of their 4004 Nature Training and Science Schools Projects. The event marked the first time that one of these projects was carried out at the primary school level in Turkey.

The photos below show some of the inspiring activities that students and educators participated in during the training camp.

A Drop of Hope for Birds

On 27 December 2017, over 20,000 children from 12 countries around the world took part in “A Drop of Hope for Birds” day by creating and hanging their own bird feeders. Fatma Ayan, the teacher coordinator at Alayna Mahmutlar Kilicarslan Primary School in Turkey, initially launched the campaign as part of the school’s LEAF programme. The event has since spread to include students from Kenya, Russia, Korea, South Africa, Mali, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Indonesia and Cyprus in addition to Turkey. The students were all united by their common slogan: “let the birds be fed, let the children smile!”

In Turkey alone, students from over 150 schools participated by crafting bird feeders with their own hands and hanging them in nearby trees and other outdoor areas. The bird feeders helped to ensure that birds would have a source of food as the colder weather started to set in. The event was both fun and educational; the students learned about birds while also engaging in an enjoyable crafts project. The students were able to watch the impact of their hard work as birds visited the feeders over the course of winter. As the event’s founder and coordinator Fatma Ayan said, “from now on we have created awareness about the birds; I believe that more sensitivity will be demonstrated after this moment.”

Going forward, “A Drop of Hope for Birds” day will be repeated every year as a LEAF programme event. The photos below show LEAF students from Turkey creating and hanging their bird feeders.

Story and photos provided by TÜRÇEV- Turkish Environmental Education Foundation
 

LEAF National Operators Meeting 2018 in Lavrion (Greece)

The annual National Operators Meeting (NOM) for the LEAF Programme was held in Greece, at the Environmental Educational Centre of Lavrion (EECL) during April 20-22. The EECL is housed within the facilities of the Technological and Cultural Park of Lavrion. National Operators from Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Russia, Tanzania, Turkey, USA and Greece participated in the NOM, which was organized by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN), FEE member in Greece.

The meeting was launched by Ms. Lesley Jones, President of the FEE Board of Directors (BoD), who welcomed the attendees. She highlighted the constantly expanding work of FEE, which today counts with 96 members in 77 countries, having started with 4 members in 4 countries in 1981. FEE’s significant contribution to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) worldwide throughout the years is attested by its partnerships with international bodies such as UNESCO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Mr. Nikos Petrou, President of HSPN BoD and FEE Board Member with overall responsibility for the LEAF programme, pointed out the contribution of HSPN in Environmental Education (EE) since its establishment in 1951, and emphasised the importance of LEAF, both in Greece and internationally.

Ms. Katerina Igglezi, President of the Special Standing Committee for Environmental
Protection of the Greek Parliament, referred to the crucial role of EE for the environment and society. She also announced an initiative of the Greek Parliament for the establishment of a national forest strategy and the adoption of the Mediterranean forestry model. Mr. Giannis Adamis, Deputy Mayor of Lavreotiki Municipality, focused on environmental education as an important parameter for the local development strategy in the Lavreotiki municipality, in which the National Park of Sounio is also located.

Ms. Maria Kayafa, leader of the pedagogical team of the EECL, discussed the necessity
for partnerships in the framework of environmental educational programmes and the
pedagogical work of the ECCL. Mr. Stavros Antonakas, President and CEO of Olympic
Marine, one of the oldest marines in Greece awarded with the «Blue Flag» and HSPN
supporter, referred to their sensitivity towards environmental issues and to their
goal to improve continuously in terms of quality, safety, and environmental
protection. Mr. Barry McGonigal, International LEAF Director, after his greeting,
presented last year’s developments, emphasising the need to develop regional
cooperation.

During the following two days, technical issues of the programme were analysed with
presentations from the participants and selected invited speakers, good practices
were presented and the bases for the creation of educational material and prototype actions, as well as regional cooperation, were established. Students from the Doukas High School participating in the YRE programme conducted interviews with the attendees. The participants were enchanted by their specially guided visit to the
archaeological site of Sounio and the temple of Poseidon, as well as their walk on the
educational path through the National Park of Sounio that was coordinated by the
pedagogic team of the EECL.

LEAF Award Ceremony in Greece

Fifty-seven schools from all over Greece were presented with the LEAF Award on an award ceremony that was held on March 10, 2018 at the Goulandris Natural History Museum in Athens. The prize was a rucksack, which contained useful tools for schools’ environmental outdoor activities, according to the slogan of the network «Going to the forest and learning from it».

Mrs Fali Vogiatzaki, member of Board of Directors of the Goulandris Natural History Museum welcomed all participants (teachers and students), emphasising on the long-term relationship between HSPN and the Museum. Mr Nikos Petrou, President of HSPN and member of the Board of Directors of FEE, underlined the great importance of the participation of students in the global family of the network with thousands of students all over the world contributing to the protection of forests. Barry McGonigal, the International LEAF Director, sent his congratulations to all Greek LEAF schools for their excellent work on the LEAF programme. Mrs Alexia Nikiforaki, Secretary General of HSPN, also welcomed and congratulated all participating schools. Mrs Sofia Kainourgiou, Vice President of the Greek LEAF Committee, made a presentation of the Greek LEAF Committee who evaluated the Greek schools’ reports on the LEAF Programme. Mr Dimitrios Gkotzos, President of the Greek LEAF Committee, referred to the philosophy and the network’s actions.

The thirty participating schools (kindergartens, primary schools and high schools) presented their activities from their participation in the LEAF programme through theatrical plays, PowerPoints and videos.

At the end of the ceremony, all participants enjoyed the projection of the “Globe” at the entrance of the Museum, which shows pictures of the Earth that have been recorded from space. In addition, the “Globe” shows the geological evolution of the Earth from its beginning until now.

LEAF launches in South Africa

WESSA launches LEAF in our country member South Africa to help children develop a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between people and nature

The LEAF programme was launched on Tuesday, February 6, at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens with the introduction of the #OurForestsAreOurFuture campaign to a number of teachers, learners, local government representatives, nurseries, other NGOs and the Gauteng Environmental Education Forum.  The campaign is a joint initiative of the WESSA LEAF programme and Johannesburg-based NGO School Forest Project, who will supply one hundred trees to the ten schools from Eersterus, Mamelodi and Tshwane East participating in the LEAF programme in 2018. SANBI will provide all children from these schools with free access to the garden for the duration of the project.

Speaking at the event, special guest and 50/50 presenter Bertus Louw said that 40% of South Africa’s forests have been destroyed and that a programme like LEAF can make a big difference in rebuilding a biome that is crucial to our survival. The learners were entertained and inspired by Bertus’ stories of the different forests he has visited across the globe, where he has seen the important role forests play: from providing us with basic furniture and creating outdoor shaded spaces for enjoyment, to protecting us from natural phenomena such as tsunamis.

Participants at the launch had the opportunity to engage in several different activities in the indigenous forest of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. These included a demonstration of the process of planting trees endemic to the Pretoria area from seeds; investigating quadrants of the forests to determine their biodiversity using technology, science and maths; and taking a closer look through magnifying glasses at the special adaptations of leaves. At the medicinal plant section of the gardens, the teachers told the learners about the plants their parents used to cure certain ailments, and highlighted the important role plants still play in the medicinal field today.

“Any school can register to participate on the LEAF programme and it therefore has the potential to reach 12,5 million learners and 125 000 teachers across South Africa. The strength of the programme is in its project-based learning, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) approach to learning about forests. The programme helps learners, teachers and communities identify practical solutions for local and global issues, enabling them to make decisions and take ownership and responsibility for their future. This is real learning today for the real world tomorrow”, says WESSA LEAF Programme Manager, Cindy-Lee Cloete.

See WESSA's comprehensive brochure about the programme here.

LEAF Malta launches "Tree your town"

LEAF Malta commemorated this year's celebration of Malta's Arbor Day with the launch of a new project grant scheme that aims to a collaboration between LEAF schools and their community

The Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change in collaboration with Nature Trust-FEE Malta through its international Learning about Forests (LEAF) programme launched the School-Community Link Project Grant Scheme Tree Your Town on January 15, 2018.

The ceremony took place at Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park and Sustainable Development Centre were a number of indigenous trees were also planted to commemorate the occasion. 
During the months leading to this day, personnel from the PARKs Directorate were very busy working on a special ramp for mobility-impaired persons to be able to access the picnic area at the park. The ramp was officially inaugurated also on January 15 in the presence of Hon. Jose’ Herrera – Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change.

In a bid to further assist schools and the general public gain more insight on the importance of trees, Nature Trust–FEE Malta  in collaboration with the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and BOV launched the book Trees and Shrubs of the Maltese Islands.

"At BOV, we have collaborated on various initiatives with Nature Trust. All projects had the aim of conserving Malta's indigenous flora and fauna", said Charles Azzopardi, Executive PR & Marketing at Bank of Valletta. Mr Azzopardi explained that through its extensive Community Relations Programme, the Bank invests heavily in the local community, including in the green stakeholder, to which specific reference is made in the Bank's mission statement. Referring specifically to the publication, he thanked Nature Trust and Dr Eman J Calleja for their efforts saying, "This publication has a critical role to play in cultivating an environmental consciousness among the general public, and therefore is an important contribution both from an educational as well as environmental perspective."  The book is authored by Dr Eman Calleja and a copy of each book was also distributed to each participating school as a reference guide for their Tree Your Town scheme projects.

During this school year, fourteen LEAF schools will benefit from the scheme. The scheme seeks, on the one hand, to initiate a working collaborative relationship between schools participating in the LEAF programme, their Local Council and other major stakeholders in the school community. The respective parties will work together to identify a derelict site within the confines of the locality and with the assistance of experts devise and implement a water efficient soft landscaping project.

On the other, its aim is also to foster love and respect for trees irrespective of the place they occur. It is intended to be a journey that sensitizes the community to appreciate the environmental, the economic and the socio-cultural benefits of trees.