This week I will talk about environmental education concrete with Paolo Donati, that I was able to contact the Book Fair for children of Bologna while trying experience “book”. Paul works at the Foundation Villa Ghigi, which is a Centre for Environmental Education in Bologna.

Paul, you can tell us something about your school gardens?

The project “my garden school”, that you had the documentation, was a particularly articulate which involved the administration of Casalecchio di Reno, some centres of environmental education, many teachers and especially teachers, pupils , Parents and support staff of two primary schools in the municipality who have decided to rethink their green space making it more interesting and stimulating.

The work in each of the two schools has developed in several phases: a moment training for teachers and technicians; a design phase in which the various schools have activated pathways design shared with pupils and parents, a series of workshops in classes related to the study and knowledge of green space available (naturalistic studies, maps, historical collection of wishes, etc.), a phase related to implementation (which involved municipal engineers, teachers, parents and children) and, Finally, a phase of the garden maintenance done in the first place by a group of parents coordinated by a teacher.

This draft school garden and ‘party during the 2001-2002 school year with great enthusiasm and participation of parents. Now imagine that almost all children who participated in the initial work are now some schools averages. It ‘been a problem continually change people?

Despite several years now since this experience remains particularly vital as it is periodically renewed Operations Group (teachers and parents) who are responsible not only maintenance but also the progressive enrichment spaces, for example with respect all’opuscolo documentation, the garden of schools Ciari in recent years have been added to a pond, a small orchard and a pergola of lives.

Keep reading: Orti Bolognese school, an example of environmental education