The Pandoteira project, through Terra Cypria – The Cyprus Conservation Foundation, offered a webinar titled “Opportunities for the utilization of Natura 2000 areas in organised education”. The webinar was organized in collaboration with the European University of Cyprus on February 22nd, 2022 and was targeting students and teachers from Cyprus as well as from Greece.
The aim of this webinar was to:
- Introduce the term of biodiversity and its usefulness
- Explain what Natura 2000 is, its purpose and importance
- Introduce the Pandoteira project and its aim
- Give practical examples of how nature can be utilised in education with the aim of cultivating an environmental consciousness among the young generation.
Some examples that were given concerning the utilization of nature in education were:
- Observing forest ecology and how nature adapts to forest fires. Through such an activity children get to realise themselves the different threats and pressures from human activities. This experience can make children more sensitive towards these issues and more environmentally conscience.
- Participating in nature walks during which all one’s senses are utilized to discover and feel nature. Children get to identify plants and animals. They get acquainted with the area’s geology and feel the value of nature as a piece of our culture. In addition, they learn to distinguish sounds, touch and smell nature. They feel like one with nature!
All in all, the webinar had more than 70 participants and it was a great opportunity to inform this stakeholder group about the Pandoteira project. Moreover, it was extremely useful in inspiring participants to incorporate such activities into their curriculum.
Click here to view the related presentation.
