The European Union Erasmus+ project "Road to a Green Future" continues with enthusiasm after the training with Spanish, Latvian and Turkish partners to acquire skills in the field of ecological and pedagogical approaches in the challenge against climate change.
Work is now proceeding on the organisation and planning of all the activities that are to be carried out with the students and that will form a real operational programme for the European partners as well.
One of the most significant experiences of the training in Spain was a visit to the Albufera Natural Park, established in 1986, one of the most important wetlands in Europe, a few kilometres from the centre of Valencia.
Accompanied by an expert environmental guide, the teachers walked through three different ecosystems. The first is the lake, a biodiversity conservation site and vital habitat for numerous species of birds, fish and aquatic plants.
Surrounding the lake is the second ecosystem, formed by the marsh and its rice fields. The lake is separated from the sea by the 'Devesa', the third ecosystem of the Natural Park and one of the most valuable coastal forests in the Mediterranean.
It was very interesting to learn how the Valencian community and the numerous volunteer associations have addressed the environmental problems caused by increasing urban development and intensive agriculture in the surrounding area, including high levels of water pollution due to the release of chemicals, industrial waste and chemical agricultural products. Urban development and increased mass tourism with the construction of tourist infrastructure, hotels and restaurants have destroyed natural habitats and altered the lake ecosystems. And not least, climate change, including rising temperatures, decreasing precipitation and salinisation of the water. These changes have a significant impact on the lake biodiversity and the local communities that depend on it. For example, reduced precipitation can lead to a decrease in water levels in the lake, putting aquatic habitats at risk.
To protect the environment of Lake Albufera and ensure its sustainability, several protection measures have been put in place, from the control of urbanisation with planning policies limiting building development in the area surrounding the lake, to the protection of water resources, including water quality control, the prohibition of direct industrial and agricultural discharges, and the control of pollution sources. For the protection of endemic flora and fauna species, such as the eel, the samaruc (an endemic fish) and other migratory bird species, conservation and environmental education programmes have been established for schools. Restrictions on commercial and recreational fishing were introduced to protect fish stocks and preserve the balance of aquatic ecosystems, and sustainable agricultural management plans were put in place to reduce the use of chemicals and preserve soil and groundwater quality. Finally, agreements have been adopted to promote sustainable tourism in the area surrounding the lake, taking into account the conservation of the environment and the development of local communities.
Our experience in Spain further strengthens our conviction that learning based on the active exploration of nature and the changes taking place through planned activities is the best methodology for our students to develop the ability to understand the impact of their actions on the world around them and to acquire awareness in order to implement responsible and sustainable behaviour in the long term.
The starting point of the educational activities will therefore be an in-depth knowledge of the natural environments of our territory, the Torre Flavia Swamp Nature Reserve and the Macchiatonda Nature Reserve, two coastal areas protected for the presence of habitats that are elsewhere strongly compromised or threatened. These delicate environments, now damaged by very strong anthropic pressure, require a careful and constant commitment to vigilance and habitat conservation, and for this reason they must become a point of reference for the environmental education of our students and the entire community in the area.
“Corrado Melone School” Erasmus Team
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