Future Environmentalists – Linking EU Natural Capital Management to Field Research Erasmus Project

Project Title

Future Environmentalists – Linking EU Natural Capital Management to Field Research

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The Project “Future Environmentalists – Linking EU Natural Capital Management to Field Research” (FUTURNATUR) addresses innovation in higher education through an approach of a partnership aiming to cross the gaps between theory, research data and practical management in environmental sciences (biology, forestry and related natural sciences).
The project activities were implemented over 32 months (01.10.2018 – 31.05.2021) in a partnership of 4 public law organizations from 4 EU countries: Association of Parks in Bulgaria (Bulgaria), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (Bulgaria) and Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (Czech Republic). All partners have experience in networking with student’s clubs and young volunteers and have agreed on the need to address them with structured and complementary non-formal education programme linking nature management with research fieldwork and active civil stance on environmental topics. All project partners have experience in educational project for environmental education, and the university partners have vast experience in Erasmus + projects.
The project has three main objectives:
– Develop relevant and high quality skills and competences for nature sciences students in Bulgaria , Greece and Czech Republic as the future EU professionals in nature resource research, management and policy;
– Empower young environmentalists in Bulgaria, Greece and Czech Republic for monitoring of the implementation of EU environmental policies in their countries and foster active citizenship;
– Establish a network of future EU professionals, linking young environmentalists from Bulgaria, Greece and Czech republic in the 3 most relevant sectors – research, management and advocacy thus facilitating future synergies in policy implementation.
The project was applied the participatory approach, with elements of pro-active and adaptive management.
The target group of the project were students that enrolled in nature science disciplines (biology, botany, forestry, etc.) with motivation for future professional realisation in conservation research, management and/or advocacy. Students were from the universities in Sofia, Thessaloniki and Prague enrolled in nature science disciplines (biology, botany, forestry, etc.); Higher education and professional trainers in environmental fields; Future employers of nature science professionals.
The main activity of the project was creation of an Innovative Education Toolkit combining best practice resources in research fieldwork, data treatment, data usage in environmental management and advocacy was a core project activity. This toolkit was developed and applied in pilot extra-curricular activities at the partner universities in Sofia, Thessaloniki and Prague through face-to-face lectures, fieldwork student trips, webinars and multiplier events, covering the full range of environmental topics relevant to nature resource management of all sectors (e.g. GIS, webinar, databases, research fieldwork, policies), different disciplines (forestry , ornithology, etc.), and adequate to national specifics as well as EU-level environmental objectives.
As a result of the project total of 99 face-to-face lectures were made and opened for all interested. Total of 425 students from Bulgaria, 562 from Greece and 285 from Czech Republic took participation in educational activities. Total of 12 webinars were held in three project countries Three job fairs were organized in each country. Their main purpose was potential employers in the field of biodiversity management to meet students as their future employees – expectations sharing. The project achieved improvement of higher education teaching capacity the 4 partner institutions in Bulgaria, Greece and Czech Republic through introducing interdisciplinary methods and feeding research and practice approaches back into education via the created toolkit.

Project Website

http://edu.parks.bg/en/home-en/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 122840 Eur

Project Coordinator

Association of Parks in Bulgaria & Country: BG

Project Partners

• BALGARSKA FONDATSIYA BIORAZNOOBRAZIE
• Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze
• ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS