From North to South of Globe: events and activities around the world for the EE Day

The fourth edition of the WorldEnvironmental Education Day took place from 14 to 26 October 2021.  The Weec Network invited all the stakeholders of the environmental education to join the World Environmental Education Day organising special events to highlight the importance of environmental educational actions all over the world.

Here are some of the Earth Day celebrations . 

In Portugal took place “Emc2”, an educational project that involved  100 students aged between 8-11 years old, with their teachers. They participated at 4 outdoor visits to coastal habitats, in order to know the endemic white crowberry plant. These visits occurred in mainland Portuguese coastal area of Torres Vedras and had the support of ‘Torres Vedras Environmental Educational Centre’ 

In the meanwhile, in Latvia, students from Madliena secondary school worked on project “Change your life-think more broadly”. It is civic participation project where students learn democracy and active partnership creating ideas, developing plans, looking for support. Project activities started in September and the students realized their ideas for better environment and for more beautiful and comfortable school surroundings. Work on project ideas devilment and realization make students more self-confident and responsible about place, where they live and study. It allows them to understand that their local work for better environment is a part of global issues. The improved surroundings of the school are used for school outdoor activities and became a good place for walks for everybody in Madliena. The support of local authorities and students` parents was important and helped the students to carry out their first so great project. 

In Brussels  COREN ran educational programs in environmental management in schools in Wallonia and Brussels. It

 organized activities on different themes: waste prevention and management, eco-consumption, rational use of energy, ecological footprint, food waste, citizen mobility . 

In Morocco,  the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training is organizing a webinar entitled “Innovative approaches for the environment. ‘environmental education and sustainable development’ in collaboration with the WEEC network through the international expert Mr. David Zandvliet.

As well in Italy, on the EE Day, Istituto per l’ambiente e l’educazione Scholé Futuro – Weec network organized the Earth Festival first edition.

Three days, from 15 to 17 October, in Lombardy on the Lake Maggiore river, full of events, conferences and activities thought to people awareness raising  to climat

e change and environmental education. The Festival is Earth Prize’s heritage, that ‘s took place for three years.  

Joining  “All4Climate-Italy2021’’ initiatives, Weec Network prepared Staffetta per il clima, Race for climate: 26 events disseminated in 14 italian regions  training moments, round tables, conferences, contests, exhibitions, debates and meetings for the presentation of pilot projects / good practices / case studies on climate change education. The last  one took place on the 14th October, in occasion of the EE Day. 

The managing body of the CEAS Dorgali Cala Gonone promoted an online dissemination event with the release of presentations relating to the importance of environmental education centres and training activities for territorial, local and regional development and for the protection of biodiversity. 

Le Mille e Una Notte prepared nature workshops for children and teenagers with a sustainability theme to get to know the reality of the Tiber River up close, from 10 am to sunset. Activities are part of a European project I Rivers in full size (FGN), whose goal is to collaboratively develop a set of teaching materials based on an illustrated representation of the great European rivers and their catchment areas.  

The Park of the Royal Castle of Moncalieri organised a virtual visit for kindergarten pupils to learn about history of this place and the vegetation present in the large park (including many centuries-old trees). The event highlighted the importance of parks and gardens for people, to have a space for relax or free time, to socialize each other and know the area they live.