Green connections, building bridge between the city children and nature
Extracurricular workshops in the schools for increasing the awareness of the children about the world of plants and natural history with fun and motivating activities.
The big idea is to motivate the kids to involve their teachers and parents, so together to act to improve the surroundings around the schools, the places for play and living spaces.
Local
Bulgaria
City of Varna
Varna municipality
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Bulgarian Orchid Society Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Krum Last name of representative: Sotirov Gender: Male Nationality: Bulgaria Function: President Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: ul."Strandja" #8 vh.A ap.52 Town: Varna Postal code: 9004 Country: Bulgaria Direct Tel:+359895810396 E-mail:bgorchidso@gmail.com Website:https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutorchids
Organizing regular educational workshops in the schools, education centers and other venues which aim to increase children’s knowledge about nature, ecology, world of plants, natural history in simple language and how important it is to have close ties with the living nature. Organizing series of activities for learning about the local plants. Development and expansion of the creativity by means of drawing and performing arts. Exercises how to plant, sow, care about plants, arranging plants and flowers. Important is to teach creation of plan/project for forming the green spaces in and around the schools playgrounds and around the buildings, arrangements that are ecological, self sustaining and with endemic and botanical species suitable for the local ecosystem.
Important part of the project is the publicity, aiming to engage the widest audience by exhibitions and happenings, coverage in the media, to include the electronic media.
As a part of the program a printed book will be created, in a simple language, about the local plants, flowers and use of herbs. The aim of the book will be to include care illustrated instructions how to recognize, preserve and protect the plants. The book will be developed by the Bulgarian Orchid Society experts, botanists, artists and pedagogues.
green worshop
children and nature
conservation
new ways of living
green initiative
The parents and teachers will also be involved with the idea to connect the city dwellers with the nature and the green world. This first project will create an algorithm for the activities to continue in other places in other schools and centers for children even in the nearby communities. This project will give the key, the directions, how to beautify the eyesores in the communities, by also creating self sustaining mini forest-like ecosystems. The project will kindle the citizen’s self initiatives.
Our activities will create unique experience for children, full of fun, positive emotions and games. They will have the opportunity to change/beautify the places of study, and to gain the approval of the community. The children will also be given the chance to be proud with their newly acquired knowledge in series of public events. With the activities, the events and the book we will open new doors to the world of beauty and will boost their desire to improve the surroundings in which they dwell. With our seven years of experience with our organization we have learned that the connection with plants create positive emotions, strengthens the interpersonal connections and the links between the city dwellers with the nature.
By learning more and more about the world of plants, the young and the adults will discover how important it is to care about the nature and how much the nature gives back in return to the people.
By these activities we will open new spaces which are presently undiscovered, such as some Sea garden corners, Nature Park Zlatni Piasaci, University Botanic Garden Eco Park Varna.
The project Green connections inspires more activity and initiative by the people, such as actions by the teachers and parents. It fills the gap in the education, which is presently focused mainly on the statistical and technological view of the world, rather than the genuine understanding of the living world. We will rely more on workshops, passing of knowledge, creativity and other things, that we learned from experience with the Bulgarian Orchid Society which are absolutely accessible and affordable even in places with limitations of such. We create a situation where the children are those who are example for the parents, with their actions an their creative inventions. Presently, in the Bulgarian school system, there are different forms, which are to create professional qualities in the pupils, yet small to none about the understanding of the surrounding world.
The initiative includes a wide range of populations: students, educators, parents. Even the people who live near the schools and see the results of the changed environment will be drawn.
In its focus is precisely the city population and the activity of the citizens. The project is an implementation of the Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on learning for environmental sustainability and the idea of continuing education, covering populations of different ages and from different social circles.
The wide media coverage, which is included in Green connection, will also be beneficial – the information obtained, the ideas, the methods and guidelines on what the citizens of Varna, together with their children, can be used for the aestheticization of small corners of the city and the protection of the green wealth.
Additional effect of this project is the improvement of the mental health of the participants and their relatives - an effect demonstrated by the activities of the Bulgarian Orchid Society.
Initially the small local communities will be involved – the schools and those of children's centers.
We believe that after the first results of the project are visible, the structures at the regional and state level also will be drawn in.
The project fully implements EU guidelines and recommendations for education in sustainability, lifelong learning and transformation of society towards green thinking and green lifestyle.
The project encompases the spheres of biology/botany, ecology, civics, practical skills, creative thinking and knowledge about visual and performing arts, as well as horticulture and arrangement of plants.
Foremost, it will demonstrate in practice to the children, that they, themselves, are capable of changing the environment in which they live. That it is their responsibility to take care of nature and preserve the plants.
In regards to the added value - we, the experts from the Bulgarian Orchid Society, will pass on our knowledge, which will lead to a better living environment, a different attitude towards nature and clearer awareness of the specific dimensions of a sustainable lifestyle.
We create a situation where the children are those who are example for the parents, with their actions an their creative inventions. Presently, in the Bulgarian school system, there are different forms, which are to create professional qualities in the pupils, yet small to none about the understanding of the surrounding world.
Each of the elements can be replicated and transferred to other places: the methodology for the workshops, the organization of public events which brings people together on the project to create new communities aimed at green sustainable development, the practical transformation of spaces, all can be recreated and scaled up.
This can happen even not only with children, but also with all kinds of groups of adults - on the field, elderly people, etc.
The methodology includes creation of contacts and empathy among school principals, teachers of biology, arts and civic activities, educators in children's educational centers and schools, support from parents with active PR actions. It includes development of a plan for the content and periodicity of the workshops, outdoor activities, the transformation of spaces near schools and residential areas.
It also includes preparation of a book about the knowledge and conservation of local plants.
Important step in this methodology is the promotion of the Green connection project .
Due to the work of the Bulgarian Orchid Society, we own permanent media partnership with the national media and agencies such as: Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, Darik Radio, Focus Agency, Bulfoto Agency and others, as well as an extremely good image and contacts with the local media. They will be our important partner in the project.
Green connection is a project that is inspired by the global challenges to change our way of life in a world where climate changes are becoming consequential. With it, we implement the EU's recommendations for sustainable development and education for sustainable development in practice in people's lives.
The project is based on learning from an early age. It fosters a scaffolding type of environment where the whole community of children, teachers and parents work together towards sustainability. It aims to develop engaging, positive and based on real-life examples of behavior.
Our idea is to catalyze the educators and to evolve our skills in sustainability education. It involves and encourages the local and wider communities.
With our experience and expertise, we provide competences related to sustainability.
As a non-governmental organization with a 7-year long history, we have the experience and knowledge to implement this project. We carried out the first workshop in Bulgaria on transplanting orchids, accompanied by lectures and advice on their conservation and growing in cultivation. We organize it every year with increasing success among the residents of Varna.
We regularly invite ecologists and botanists who expand the audience's knowledge about wild orchids in Bulgaria, many of which are protected by law, but still have problems with their conservation.
The Bulgarian Orchid Society is the first in Bulgaria to organize a workshop on transplanting specifically for children.
Also, for the first time in the country, we conducted art therapy session with plants to relieve the tensions and the negative emotions resulting from the COVID-19 events.
The positive response from these events and the wide media coverage, give us confidence and optimism to propose this larger and more significant project.
Green connection implements in practice all the recommendations of the European framework for continuing lifelong learning, practical actions to implement a sustainable green life. We fully support Ursula von der Leyen's conclusions that educational systems are not yet prepared to form a green consciousness and a civil attitude to adopt this new way of life.
The project aims to create and develop a number of new skills
For children and adults - knowledge and understanding of the world of plants, their cultivation and conservation
Practical skills in transplanting and growing plants
Creative license to recreate the green world with the means of different types of art –
Painting, sculpture, performing arts.
The skill to present and promote their ideas to an audience.
Ability to convince their loved ones and involve them in active civic actions to change the urban environment.
It all starts with early childhood education and care;
– it is based on a lifelong learning approach;
– creates a supportive learning environment in which the entire comunity works for sustainability;
– it is learner-centered, engaging, positive and based on real-life examples;
– supports educators, includes leadership teams, to train and work to achieve sustainability;
- encourages local and wider community collaboration and partnerships;
– makes the participation of young people meaningful;
– builds competences related to sustainability;
– it is based on strong policies.
