Author:
Bee-eater
Short summary:
Funding from ChangeX enabled Green Steps to update two well-known hiking routes in the Wachau with the latest experiential education methods. In recent months, our team developed the natural monument Zellergraben in the municipality of Furth, and the new signage was recently handed over to the local community.
Application Process
Back in 2022, Green Steps already received ChangeX funding for innovative environmental education. At the beginning of this year, when ChangeX informed us that a new micro-grant program was available and encouraged us to apply, we didn’t hesitate. Our proposal was reviewed smoothly and approved quickly.
Self-Built Birdwatching Station Along a Local Hiking Route
Under the application title “Observing Bee-Eaters Without Disturbance – a DIY Project that Turns Students into Designers of Their Hometown”, we proposed to bring two aging hiking routes in the wine village of Furth near Göttweig into the digitally supported present and to link our interactive nature experience format Big Friendly Giants with a hands-on project. As always, our goal is to make nature an immediate experience and to meaningfully involve students in shaping their local community.
Support from Local Nature Experts
Biologist and environmentalist Hannes Seehofer from Furth kindly provided us with the panels of the old analog signage and advised us on choosing a suitable location for a birdwatching station. The natural monument Zellergraben was established over 20 years ago, initiated by Hannes himself. In today’s digital age, information boards have lost much of their appeal, which is why we wanted to give this natural gem an upgrade to make it more engaging again for the local primary and middle schools.
We believe that experiencing one’s immediate neighborhood and local community has great educational value. Without knowledge and appreciation of the ecosystems right on our doorstep, we cannot truly understand larger ecological connections. This project offers a wonderful opportunity to connect schools, the local community, and nature.
In the meantime, we have been able to digitize the two routes by adding about 30 nature and cultural mappings in the municipality of Furth to the Internet of Nature. Both routes can now be experienced either via smartphone or offline with a printed guide including multiple-choice questions to tick off. These two hikes complement the already existing routes in Krems and Paudorf and help to convey bioregional knowledge in a playful way.
The new route signage, printed by GW St. Pölten, was officially handed over to Mayor Wolfgang Übl and councilor Stefan Liebhart on September 9. Six info boards, which facilitate access to the two routes, will be installed at the elementary school, middle school, and municipal office. Training sessions for teachers and interested citizens are planned for the fall.
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Project Impact and Its Measurement
Our association measures success primarily by the hours that students and teachers spend outside the classroom in meaningful educational activities. This time is tracked throughout the entire project in the form of points – 10 points for one hour. Students, classes, and schools participate in a friendly competition.
Another indicator of a project’s success is the participation of people and organizations beyond the school environment: the more individuals involved, the greater the impact of the project outside of regular school operations.
A third indicator is the continuity of the project, which we measure by whether subsequent classes continue the project at local schools and recognize it as a learning opportunity. We assess this by asking a responsible teacher the following year. A strong sign of continuity is participation in our training programs for learning-site and community facilitators. Participants are introduced to the key functionalities of the web app, including tree mapping, species management, and the development of bioregional learning goals.
Further Reading:
• On the scaling of place-based education through tree mapping
• The Mobile Campus 4.0 as an educational strategy for climate change adaptation
• Zu Naturentfremdung und Naturverbundenheit
• Womb Waters Ober-Grafendorf
• What lapwings can teach us about the necessity of local ecosystem restoration
• Daniel Wahl: Reconnecting to Place for Planetary Health
• Our project on ChangeX
• About our first ChangeX project
Want to create a nature learning site in your city or school?
Get in touch with Green Steps through under email address
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