We have Green IDeas...do you?

Green in Spain

It was a great experience to live those days in Danube Delta with very interesting people from another countries, all the people were very interested in ecology and environmental issues and we were able to interchange knowledge on how to work this subjects with youngsters. In order to prevent environmental disasters and to promote a more eco-friendly lifestyle we must start by educating the following generations.

For that reason the dissemination activities by our association, ASOCIACIÓN BARRIOS DE LUNA, for this project were held during the previous days of cañon on festival in Tarancón (Cuenca), three days of outdoor activities on different parks of our town. The target age for this activities were children from 6-12 years old and our staff did different ways of approaching the eco-friendly lifestyle to youngsters. Storytelling, painting, and how to use different elements of the nature and recycled materials in order to decorate the spaces of the festival.

It was a really good experience for us and we have received a very positive feedback from their parents encouraging us to continue with this kind of activities all year round.

Mahura (Spain)

FROM THE DANUBE DELTA TO THE BULGARIAN MOUNTAINS AND SEASIDE

About a month and a half after the Green ID training course held in the village of Partizani, in the Danube Delta, Romania, one of the Bulgarian participants realized an activity from Green ID again during the For the Balkan Student Camp. The camp was organized by the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation and took place in the Centralen Balkan National Park, Bulgaria. It was aimed at the nature and ecological education of students and young people. Some twenty students took part in the activity My Ecological Footprint. The participants were excited to learn about the concept of the ecological footprint; they enjoyed the game and the discussion that followed proved that it has triggered their imagination and evoked a reaction.

www.bbf.biodiversity.bg/indexdetail_art.php?id=810

In the end of August My Ecological Footprint was realized again, this time on the Bulgarian seaside, during the nature conservation brigade “Atanassovsko Ezero 2013” organized by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds. Thirty of its participants took the challenge and found out where they stand in terms of sustainability. The format of the activity was well accepted though the following discussion revealed some adjustments are to be made if it is to be realistic for the Bulgarian conditions.

http://bspb.org/show2.php?id=2753&menu_id=33 (in Bulgarian)

Alexander Marinov, or Sancho, as his friends call him, says he enjoyed doing the activity in Romania and therefore decided to bring it back to Bulgaria. According to him it is a good tool to stimulate young people to think more about sustainability. He is determined to realize the activity again in upcoming nature conservation events in Bulgaria.

After Green ID

After Green ID

2th September 2013, Šumperk - Czech republic

Meeting’s report and minutes:

13:00 Welcome, introduction to the Youth in Action Programme, getting to know each other
14:30 What we TAKE from the nature and what we GIVE it - brainstorming

15:00 Presentation of Green ID project, screening documentary films Green ID

16:00 Methods of non formal learning used at the training
- Workshop 1 Air Quality Assessment
- Workshop 2 Water Quality Testing

17:00 Discussion – follow up activites

Websites: www.pointos.eu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ObcanskeSdruzeniPointPodporaASocialniIntegrace

Green ID in Portugal

The Portuguese partner of Green ID - Agrupamento de Escuteiros 516 do Bombarral, made the experience in Romania famous in the regional newspaper – “Notícias do Bombarral”

How it was at Be Green, Watch a Scene…. Be a CineGreen !

In a friendly setting and with people who look to the future and do not forget the nature, we gathered on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 21:30 for the Green ID event announcing the end of the project. 

The topic of the night was raising public awareness and discussions about environmental issues, all this contributing to raising awareness of the effects that pollutions has on nature. Green ID encourages population, adopting a responsible behavior towards nature.

At this event attended representatives of specialized NGOs, young students, and people in solidarity with nature.

In the first part of the Event we have projected suggestive images and videos from the activities at the training course from Danube Delta, including: activities in nature, visits to local communities, understanding cross-supply facilities, sharing of best practices in eco, workshops for relaxation, learning to learn, knowing each other, discovering local culture, intercultural evenings, theme parties.

We discussed about the importance of the project, we shared ideas and possible solutions to reduce future environmental problems. Beauty and richness of Romania was the subject discussed towards the end of the evening, which culminated with the screening of the documentary Wild Carpathia.

Green ID was a training held in the Delta during the period 11 to 18 June 2013. Its purpose was to provide youth workers methods and techniques in order to increase awareness of environmental issues. The 24 youth workers from Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Spain and Hungary who participated in the project were involved in organized activities design to increase the connection of the participants with nature, to get them more motivated and open to adopt sustainable practices and to promote it in their work.

Green ID activities from the training course

Activities Training course "Green ID"

11 to 18 June 2013, the Danube Delta, Romania

Green ID is a training course, where youth workers will join with the purpose of improving the quality of their work in the field of environmental education for youth. During the training course participants will discover new tools and methods that they can use to raise awareness about the need to protect the environment. Green ID TC is also design to increase the connection of the participants with nature, to get them more motivated and open to adopt sustainable practices and to promote it in their work.

To meet the objectives of the project, we used the following activities:

  

1.      Greenhouse Theater

The purpose of the activity was focus on the understanding of phenomena and the mechanism of the greenhouse effect, global warming and climate change. The participants were divided into 4 groups and then were asked to explain the cause of climate change. The trainer provided a definition of the greenhouse effect, after which the participants had to put on stage a small demonstration of how the greenhouse effect works.

This activity can be considered a method where young people can understand the greenhouse effect and its consequences on human life. There were also debated terms like "climate change" global warming "and" greenhouse gases ".

At the end of the activity, the following questions were used for feedback: Do you think young people can use this method? Did you find it self-explanatory and easy to understand and apply?

      

2.      The past and the future

For this activity participants were divided into 4 groups and each of the group received an object – a notebook, a can, a plastic bottle. They had 10 minutes to think of a story in which the object is the main character and also to imagine the object history: past, present and future.

This method involved techniques such as story telling and presentation. Both of the methods aimed to raise the participants awareness of the impact that man has on nature through the things that he uses in his entire existence.

To conclude, the questions used at the end of the activity were: Have you ever thought about the manufacturing process of the objects you used daily? Certain stages of this process have an impact on climate change? How? Do you think they can be replaced? Why doesn't everybody adopt such methods if they can? Did you learn something that you want to share with the others?

      3.  The story-nature and I

The purpose of this activity was to raise awareness presence of nature in the human life. Using the story telling technique and Playback Theater, each participant received an object and was asked to relate a positive or negative experience that has influenced him and the objects supposed to be in the center of the story. Then, the story had to be put on stage by the other participants.

The participants were asked: If it was hard to find a relevant moment to be shared? If they believe that nature plays an important role in their lives? What about in the life of the others? Has nature changed in the past years? In what way?

        4.      The system game

The purpose of this activity which involves teamwork, was to raise awareness about the balance of nature and the fact that everything humans do affects this balance. For this activity participants were asked to choose two persons from the group (preferably not the same persons they usually choose), but without telling them they are chosen. Each of the participants had to be placed at an equal distance between the people they chose. He has to keep the distance without telling the other persons that he is the reference point. At the end of the activity, participants were asked: how did they feel during this activity? It was hard to follow the rules of the activity? Did they realize that they were the reference point of other participants? Have they tried to help the others once they realized? If yes, why? If not, why? Talk about individualism and how it affects the environment.

      5.      My ecological footprint

The purpose of the actives was to introduce to the participants the concept of "ecological footprint" and making them understand the impact of personal behavior on nature.

Each participant received a questionnaire, a pen and sat down in a straight line. Through this activity participants will learn how their lifestyle affects the ecosystem. For each question participants must analyze and respond to it. It has to be reminded that the purpose of this activity is not to make them feel guilty but to but to show the areas where improvements can be made or not. For the questions where they are not sure, they can approximate or they can make an average. All participants stand in a line. Each question is read, and participants have to move forward, accordingly to the answer they give and with the rules from the questionnaire- each answer has a certain number of steps. Also, they should also write down the answer in the questionnaire. After reading all the questions, the group meets. Participants will be given time to gather their score. They were informed about “ecological footprint” concept and how they can interpret the score:

·         - less than 150 the Ecological Footprint was smaller than 4.0 hectares

·         - 150-350 points, the Ecological Footprint was between 4.0 hectares and 6.0 hectares.

·         - 350-550 the Ecological Footprint was between 6.0 hectares and 7.8 hectares

·         - 550-750 the Ecological Footprint was between 7.8 hectares and 10.0 hectares

·         - more than 750 points, the Ecological Footprint was greater than 10.0 hectares.

Once individual scores calculated we are conclude, that there are only 2.1 global hectares (5.3 acres) of bioproductive land available per person on the Earth. And if all people would use more then we need more land to sustain all of us. 

This work was completed with the discussion on the following questions: How did you feel morning forward or staying behind? What behavior would you change and what did you want to keep? Why is it possible to change some behaviors and some not? It is a choice or a necessity to reduce your ecological footprint? What are you willing to give up? Or what can you change? Where should we stand in the end? Do you believe that it would be useful to do this activity with the youngsters you work with? When? Should be adapted? If yes, how?

6.      An imaginary day, Eco-Meeting - Eco practices in the office

The purpose of this activity is to increase environmental responsibility in our organizational partners. The trainer will guide the participants to imagine a day at the office and to make a list of the objects they use, throw or recycle. In groups of 3 participants they will have to make a collection of objects / materials that they usually use at meetings. Starting from this they will have to find some environmental friendly rules that can be easily used in organizations where they are coming from. The results from the discussion will be presented to the whole group.

The questions at the end of the activity: Why are not adopted these rules in all offices? Do you think these rules are hard to adopt? Once you arrived home do you think your colleagues will adopt these rules?

7.      Letters from the Past, How do you inspire the next generation?

The purpose of this activity was to increase awareness among young people about the fact that there are people and animals suffering from climate change. Through techniques, such as story and presentation, participants were divided into 4 groups and for each group were assigned a color. Participants were told that they living in European countries sometime in 2050. In their home suddenly found a piece of a letter that looks very old. Each group received a piece of a letter. It is a letter from the past! They now have to find the rest of the letter which is hidden somewhere in the space that surrounds them. When they have found the entire letter with the designated color they will return to the large group. All letters will be read. 

They are lucky because 2050 was invented a machine that can lead them back to 2012, but not earlier. Thus, they can come back in 2012 and may have the opportunity to help the characters in the story. Reducing carbon emissions will not help them at this stage. The stories will find many indications of how they can help. Groups now have to think about measures that can help the people in their stories and what they can do to ensure that that will be done. They need to do a visual representation using the materials around them or collage using newspapers and magazines representing a response to a letter that tells them the plans. 

Also, this activity has released a number of questions which have been under discussion: What do they think about writing? How did they feel? What were the ideas to help the characters in the letters? Do they think that is realistic? What are the obstacles in putting them into practice?