Discovering and exploring the forest by head, heart and hands

According to the “forest strategy” developed by the European Commission, sustainable forestry plays a central role in achieving the EU’s climate goals and supporting the EU BioEconomy Strategy. Forests produce an impressive number of important products and services for society and present a significant source of CO2 storage related to climate change and they are home to a large proportion of biodiversity. Our project deals with the topic of forest, as a major topic for the future because future generations are needed who are familiar with the topic of forest and sustainability.Through our project, we want to build an awareness of nature, especially for the ecosystem of the forest. We want to observe the ecosystem forest from many sides, however the scientific approach will be running through the whole project as a main focus. Concrete observations of animals, soil and plants in the forest, the collection of information on site, excursions with experts such as foresters will lead to an intense experience and will be the basis for knowledge and later on attitudes. We want students to plan simple experiments themselves, to carry out and document them and to recognize scientific interrelations. The focus is on the ecosystem of the forest, not only in single, subject-based lessons, but under various aspects. The use of tools such as test tubes, test kits for determining important parameters, bug eye viewers and microscopes allow a wide range of working methods.Nevertheless, other approaches to the topic should also be made possible. Thus, each learning/teaching/training activity is under a different focus alongside the scientific. This includes tourism in the forest, access to the forest at a meta-level (for example through painting and music), the economic use of the forest (professions in the field of forestry and wood) and the impact of climate change on the local forest and in other regions of Europe.Through activities like excursions, explorations on site, presentations, discussions with experts, observations, working in the laboratory, experiments, etc. students will gain key competences not only in their mother language but especially in the foreign language and project language English (e.g. working together with students from the partner schools), in media (e.g. using modern media for presentations and research), in natural sciences (e.g. experiments on soil), social and citizens’ competences (e.g. accept other opinions in a discussion) and in self-initiative (e.g. making proposals for practical implementation). All four partner schools from Spain, Greece, Italy and Germany involved are located in rural areas next to forests and therefore have a special personal interest in participating in the project, to bring in existing experience and to gain more knowledge about the ecosystem of the forest. As a result of our project, students will experience innovation in their learning activity. They will increase their knowledge on the topic forest, recognize that the protection of it is an important task not only in their own surrounding, develop their communication skills in the mother tongue and in foreign languages and develop skills in the use of ICT and new technology etc. The project will also have an impact on the teachers, such as the improvement of English and project management skills. The schools will benefit from free teaching resources and teaching materials and will be part of a European network of schools involved in European cooperation. For longer term benefits, we will publish a handbook with a description of the activities carried out with handouts, practical examples, worksheets and products. It can be used for similar projects or single lessons. It will be handed on to teachers in the region, presented in teachers' trainings and available at the different partner schools. Final products (project summary and handbook for teachers) which will be the results of the project and were funded by the EU will be accessible for teachers and students in the schools' libraries so that they can be used during lessons, school performances, displays, lectures and exhibitions.