Green education model

The project tackles the habitat fragility of the Ligurian wetlands and the impact of a turtle species called Emys orbicularis in the Centa Piana river, the Vara and Magra rivers areas. The project focused on the restoration of the natural habitat, the eradication of invasive American species threatening the European turtle species and the assistance of local turtles reproduction and re-introduction in the wild. A large part of the project was conducted thanks to the participation of volunteers and large emphasis was given to education about environmental habitats protection. (1)

The project involved the revitalization of the area in Cacovická island in order to create conditions for year-round recreation and relaxation in the natural environment and to restore the ecosystem in the floodplain of the river Svitavy (Ref. 3). The project also restored the cultural heritage of the area by integrating elements of Celtic heritage within the design, as well as environmental education (Ref. 4).

The Arcadia nursery is a new building located at the King’s Buildings Campus, Edinburgh and owned by the University of Edinburgh. The current intervention is about promoting ideas of free play and having elements of forest schools and natural play within the garden. As outdoor spaces associated with pre-schools is critical to the health and well being of children, this project is one of the very important initiatives in the city. It mixes indoor and outdoor play areas, and children can move between the eco-friendly building and a specially landscaped garden. The playrooms lead to a garden which enables 'nature' to be in close reach for the children. (ref 1, 4)

“The Living Environment Trust is an environmental charity based in Coventry, which aims to promote environmental and sustainability awareness within local communities. Accordingly, the Trust uses the restoration of neglected inner-city green spaces as a way to engage a range of community groups, whilst also serving to enhance and expand the existing biodiversity and develop important community and educational resources.” (Ref. 1) “The Living Environment Trust was formed in 2007 to transform the neglected land around the Alan Higgs Centre into a community ecological and leisure resource.” (Ref. 2)

In 2016 the Municipality of Lisbon started the renovation of the Botanical Garden of Lisbon, declared in 2010 as a national heritage monument. The botanical garden is both a vital urban open space and a significant cultural landscape of the city. This Botanical Garden is home to an important collection of plants with economic value, reflecting the strong links to the Portuguese expansion and the routes of the navigators that spread them across the various continents. The intervention is expected to provide improvements in the irrigation and water circulation systems, in the rainwater harvesting system, in the reorganization and improvement of garden green spaces, and in the restoration of paths. With the objective of requalifying the space, bringing significant improvements in terms of sustainability of resources, visitors safety, new cultural and recreational opportunity spaces (Ref. 3, 4, 8).

The eco-pedagogical garden is an initiative of the University of Education in Karlsruhe on its own site. Its goal is to provide a space for hands-on learning for university students about sustainable development, biodiversity and ecosystems. Based on that, they develop ideas about how to implement such gardens in schools and how to best teach future schoolchildren about these issues. About 120 university students participate in this coursework which forms an integral part of their studies, learn about efficient gardening and how to organize and administer school gardening activities. Apart from the vegetable garden, the garden has a biotope, nature and wilderness area which serves as a sanctuary for birds & small mammals and wild bees. (Ref. 2 and 3).

Malls Mire is an area of mixed woodland and wetland habitat situated between Toryglen and Rutherglen. People from the surrounding communities have been working with Urban Roots to manage the woodland since 2009, improving its value for wildlife and working on the paths so that more people can enjoy it(Ref 1). It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in March 2015(Ref 2). Surveys by entomologists showed that the site is valuable for a number of rare beetles and a spider, the latter, Southern Motherphage (Coelotes terrestris) having only been found at one other site in Scotland(Ref 2).

The BEIGUA LIFE Project focused on the development and implementation of six management plans, one for each of the priority habitat types present at the site, to safeguard and restore these endangered habitats located right outside of Genova. Several activities of soil rehabilitation were carried out through planting native species and keeping under control invasive plant species. An awareness raising campaign was held to involve local communities as well (1).

The Sowe Valley Project was a community-based project focusing on rivers restoration. It aimed to link the local community with the Sowe River Valley and to improve the valley’s biodiversity and habitats for the benefits of people and wildlife. (Ref. 2, 6, 11-13)

Park Sainte-Marie is the second largest park in Nancy (Ref. 8). "The park Sainte-Marie hides varieties of splendid oaks and many other rare plants. It also hosts that annual "Nature in Festivities" event in the first weekend of May which represents the largest plant market in the region (Ref. 2). "This park was awarded the "Tourism and Handicap" labels in 2007 and "Outstanding Garden" in 2010" (Ref. 1). "An old Alsatian House , created for the International Exhibition of the East of France in 1909" is conserved within the park (Ref. 8).