RDP project database

Young people from Poland and Germany met to jointly discover the treasures their countryside has to offer. Having engaged in exchange and joint learning exercises, they found out about the environmental issues putting their natural heritage at stake.

Przymierze Jeziorsko (Warta, Poland)

The partnership, which comprised of four Local Action Groups (two from Poland and Germany each), was seeking ways to jointly implement actions raising awareness and establishing a positive attitude towards ecologically responsible behaviour among young people. Since the activity's target group were secondary school students aged twelve to sixteen years, the initiative was to be built around a participatory approach stimulating inter-cultural exchange and ecological learning among the youth.

The overall objective was to raise awareness and establish ecological understanding among young people from Poland and Germany. More specifically, the project aimed to enable responsible use of natural resources, by organizing innovative educational and sports activities for: (1) raising awareness about current environmental issues caused by improper use of natural resources, and; (2) transferring knowledge about concrete steps to protect the environment.

The project partnership organized a recreational holiday-type event for thirty Polish and fourteen German youngsters. Means of education and play were applied to raise their awareness about the benefits of nature and its preservation. The secondary-level school students walked along the forestry education path 'Winiary', took part in recreational activities at an agri-tourism farm and participated in a 'rallye' competition, involving walking and cycling around the Jeziorsko lake.

Young people have acquired knowledge about the principles of natural resource management. Engaging in games, quizzes and education, using three languages (Polish, German, English) they have also improved their communication skills. A bi-lingual brochure has been released following the project's completion. Project holders highly recommend the use of leisure and play to support the acquisition of ecological knowledge, which was considered to be the most effective method to develop and build an understanding of natural values among adolescents.

The lead partner LAG highlights it has gained valuable experience in the realisation of environmental and youth projects. Through cooperation a number of new contacts have been activated, which are intended to be taken further in the future. Despite initial worries how beneficiaries would integrate it turned out that language barriers had no role to play. The youngsters got very quickly used to each other and everybody cooperated nicely.

Łódzkie and Wielkoposkie regions in Poland and Palatinate in Germany

17 232

9 993

7 240

https://www.krainanocyidni.pl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=204:spotkanie-z-natur-2010

Wiktor Baranowski

lgd-przymierzejeziorsko@wp.pl

+ 48 43829 4879

Polish