Author:
Green Steps
Short summary:
On May 24, a multi-hour Green Steps workshop took place in Pürbach, near the Czech border, organized by the “Mitmachregion Waldviertel” and Parents For Future Waldviertel. Christian Oberlechner, chair of the Eco-Social Initiative Waldviertel, shares his impressions
Note: This article was originally published by the Eco-Social Initiative.
Giving Trees a Name Means Active Tree Protection
Knut Wimberger is the chair of the association Green Steps and is committed to raising awareness about nature and habitats. He wants to shift the focus from nation-state thinking to a broader perspective in terms of bio- and eco-regions. As a first step, the association starts with trees. These are mapped, decorated, and given names – thereby moving them into the center of attention.
“Humans Depend on Trees” - Knut Wimberger
Nature – the Extended Classroom
An app was deliberately developed to allow the creation of “tree trails,” where people of all ages can engage playfully with the ecosystem of trees. The mapping shows how much CO₂ a tree binds, how many living beings find habitat within it, what it means for the water balance, and much more. Those who get to know trees this way and give them a name will treat these sources of life and energy more mindfully in the future.
The “Quest” – Learning Biology Through Play
The idea is to map a few trees along a walking route and then create a kind of quiz for them. First, all mapped trees appear on an online map. When you approach one of the mapped trees with a phone, a sort of “game card” opens, showing all the information about the tree, along with questions that need to be answered. And: you MUST go outside into nature, since the app is designed to only work on-site. Brilliant!
Shinto – Japanese Tree Decoration as Added Appreciation
In addition to theoretical input from Knut Wimberger and some self-exploration exercises in nature, the workshop participants were also able to make simple Japanese Shinto decorations for the trees mapped on site in Pürbach – and immediately hang them on the trees.
Enthusiasm and Many Ideas for Tree Trails
The participants were consistently enthusiastic. Because it was fun, informative, and opened up new perspectives on our eco-social path. In line with the OSI’s founding principles, cooperation with Green Steps is a great opportunity to expand eco-social content – especially awareness of the vital importance of the surrounding natural world – and to reach citizens and potential allies in the community through a low-threshold offer for political community work.
Further reading:
BFG - Guardian Workshop
Gamified Nature Education
Planetary Health
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HIghlights from the workshop:
