'Follow Your Nature' is an opportunity for schools to imprint Nature in their students’ souls. As a nature literacy project, it provides young people, from all backgrounds and studying fields, with a systematic opportunity to learn, reconnect, and promote their local natural areas. The main goal is to provide with the tools to truly relate with these amazing areas, so that, after, they can showcase them in a short-film. This is a competition and Kids, and Nature are the biggest winners!
National
Portugal
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Mainly rural
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): APTERN - Associação Portuguesa de Turismo em Espaços Rurais e Naturais Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Sara Last name of representative: Correia Gender: Female Nationality: Portugal Function: President Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra - Bencanta Town: Coimbra Postal code: 3045-601 Country: Portugal Direct Tel:+351 912 397 213 E-mail:geral@aptern.pt Website:http://aptern.pt
'Follow Your Nature' is a nature literacy project, created in Portugal, with the aim of helping young people to reconnect with their surrounding natural areas, and with Nature in general. This project targets students from 12 up to 18 years old, from all backgrounds and studying fields, and is divided into two main stages:
1. learning phase
2. competition phase
The learning phase helps redirecting the students focus and attention to some of the most unique features of their favorite natural area. It aims to provide them with the tools to feel marveled by the beauty, strength, rawness, fragility, interdependence, and so many other descriptors that can make all and each one of them feel a sense of belonging.
On the project's website, students and teachers will easily find and watch the 'webisodes' - present and previous editions - fully dedicated to the six different areas on the 'Follow Your Nature' scope:
- Classified Areas
- Ecosystem Services
- Key-Species
- Tourism and Sports in Nature
- Nature Wellbeing
- Environmental Citizenship.
By addressing the first three themes they are invited to explore and study their natural surroundings and their distinctive features, while watching the last three will teach them about the most responsible and compelling ways to engage with these unique and fragile places.
The competition phase starts after they have made the proper integration of these concepts with the help of the support materials, and their teachers. They will then have to physically visit their chosen natural area and create a 3-minute video to promote its amazingness, uniqueness, main reasons to visit and preserve, and how to do it in a more responsible and sustainable way. In the end, there will be five winners who will have the chance to travel to a special destination and co-star in the production of that Edition's Documentary. We already have Pico Island in our list, and the next amazing spot will be Santa Maria Island, both in the Azores.
Nature literacy
Sustainable Tourism
Nature Identity
Nature reconnection
Systematic Approach
Sustainability works on the assumption of three pillars - planet, people and profit - working together towards a fragile, but desirable, equilibrium. Each pillar is seen as equal, but we see this as a narrow approach, that reduces Nature's importance on the real balance - and survival - of the other two systems. With this said, 'Follow Our Nature', is dedicated to nature literacy, trying to empower young people through knowledge and love for their local nature(s), while promoting responsible tourism in those areas. This means that all the pillars are met through our project, as students are, and will increasingly be, called to be present in nature, promote it - and it's conservancy - in strict proximity with local communities, local natural derived products and services, while helping people thrive and local economies to grow. The key objectives regarding Sustainability are:
1. Teach kids and the local communities about the unique natural aspects that make their territories unique and special
2. Promote natural and rural territories for its ability to foster local, responsible and profitable small businesses
3. Promote a sense of belonging which will create growing feelings of gratefulness, love and care towards nature
'Follow Your Nature' combines several approaches towards these purposes. On the website, students and teachers will find the 'webisodes' - present and previous editions.
By addressing the first three themes they are invited to explore and study their surroundings and their distinctive features, while the last three will teach them about the most responsible and compelling ways to engage with these unique and fragile places.
Learning will then support a video they must produce showcasing how these Nature(s) have touched their hearts.
As a non-profit, that is set to work with rural and natural territories, we have been dedicated at promoting nature as the main driver for differentiation. We focus on tourism as a tool for the good, and as a bridge between beautiful and unique areas and a more responsible and caring society. Tourism promotion and interpretation can, and should be used more often as learning opportunities, so we created 'Follow Your Nature' project to champion kids as nature ambassadors. We want them to fall in love with their natural surroundings. We want them to learn deeply about what makes the natural areas around them unique. We want them to engage, and to connect by looking at these areas through a replicable, scalable and engaging methodology that invites them to see beyond the obvious. The key objectives regarding Aesthetics and Quality of Experience are:
1. Provide students with clear knowledge lenses they must use to learn about nature's beauty and uniqueness
2. Promote surprise and 'awe' feelings towards those areas, aiming on open their minds and hearts to Nature
3. Use the knowledge to promote responsible tourism and Nature conservation
In Portugal, Nature has been put aside as a cultural and identity issue. And this is what sets us apart from other environmental education projects. Our goal is to put natural areas in the center of the learning process, to make it a priority in local agendas by providing the future generation with the power of knowledge, empathy and relatedness. We promote our natural landscapes as tourism assets, but we don't teach our kids about it. So 'Follow Your Nature' uses a compelling way to make them go and film these amazing places. In the end the winners of the film competition will be featuring on a professional Documentary about some outstanding natural places-1st edition portrayed Pico Island, and 2nd will present Santa Maria Island, both in the Azores Archipelago. This is tourism made useful for cultural, economic and natural benefits
We believe in a participative society. We are responsible for creating the world we believe in, but to do it we must provide our children with the right citizenship tools, as they are the future. The key objectives regarding Inclusion are:
1. Simple participation process
2. Allowed access to civil society participation
3. Engagement with local public entities
4. Promotion of mixed backgrounds interaction between kids
'Follow Your Nature' invites all students (ranging 12 to 18 years old), from all backgrounds and studying fields, to engage with our methodology by learning, reconnecting, and filming their favorite natural area. In the era of smartphones this has become almost a transversal possibility, however, students may ask for teachers, parents, or other caregivers for help, as the engagement of other community participants is more than welcome.
Every Classified Area in the country, as well as others proven to be of interest for conservation purposes, can be portrayed, which means that every student will find within few miles a place to learn about and that it is worthy of being shown.
This is also a great opportunity to bring local governing entities into the process. Not only they are invited to urge schools to engage with our project, as they are seen as interested part by promoting the participant videos as they are promoting the local territories themselves, in the most sustainable way possible. This helps them meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and provides them with a new and differentiated tool to work with schools around identity, belonging, and cultural bastions which are crucial in the fight against the very problematic issue in the EU of urbanization.
Also important to state is that each year, the winners of each edition will have the opportunity to meet, and co-star - or co-produce - the awarded Documentary, with local kids, coming from challenging backgrounds and less motivating environments.
The main beneficiaries of 'Follow Your Nature' are undoubtedly the students, to whom this project was created in the first place, however there are many potential secondary beneficiaries, accounting for the teachers, parents, and civil community, this last being the one that we are now starting to work for, as the next step of this ongoing project of 'Follow Your Nature'.
Starting with the kids, it is important to reinforce the idea that, even though most of the Portuguese territory is still quite rural, where Nature evolved side by side with Man's activities, sometimes with remarkable results in biodiversity thriving - like the case of the 'montado' semi-natural ecosystem – it is also, sadly, true that people are growing further apart from it.
The school curricula are not created to promote connection, are not structured in a compelling, storytelling way, and are no promoters of active visitation or even passive motivators around natural areas engagement. With this said, there are plenty of environmental education projects, with different scopes and areas of intervention, but there isn’t any that creates a common ground platform, where young people can learn about where, why, what, and how, to be in contact with the wonders of nature.
If we take these students outside, if we promote this reconnection, we will be, most likely, be promoting the same benefits for their teachers and/or parents. And if with this quest we were able to engage the local political entities, in promoting 'Follow Your Nature' video participations through their platforms, then we will keep on having an even greater impact.
Plus, 2023 will be 'Year 1' for the new stage of 'Follow Your Nature', the stage where the 'Follow Your Nature's Clubs' will be born. This next phase is being specifically developed to extend the time kids will spend interacting with Nature, but also to lead them to create specific sustainable tourism activities for the civil society as well.
In its 1st Edition 'Follow Your Nature' had the support of several regional and national Entities.
Our approach started by being validated, and funded, by a national program designated as 'Fundo Ambiental/Environmental Fund, sponsored by the Portuguese Ministry of Environment', which has covered 70% of the first-year implementation costs. Animated by this achievement we also got the endorsement of the National Education Bureau and were sponsored by the three Municipalities in Pico Island, as well as the Azores Regional Youth Bureau, and the Azores Regional Environment and Climate Change Bureau.
For this second Edition we just got a new important endorsement, from the 'Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia' (Portuguese Society of Ecology), and already have the sponsoring commitment from the Municipality of Vila do Porto, in Santa Maria Island. We are also expecting to be supported by the Azores Regional Tourism Bureau, as well as maintaining the two other initial Regional supports.
This is a project that emerges from the expertise of APTERN's crew, led by its President, who is a Biologist, with a masters in 'Ecology and Environmental Management' and a PhD in 'Tourism, Cultural Ecosystem Services and Health'.
It is also a project that involves the participation of several specialist guests, that in each webisode are invited to discuss each theme within their area of expertise, adding scientific interest and validation to the project. For this 2nd Edition we have already had the chance to interview the Scientific Coordinator of the Portuguese Biosphere Reserves, the former President of the Portuguese Biologist Association (and also Head Researcher at INIAV - National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research), as well as bird specialist, researcher and 'Chargée de mission Science-Société' at CEFE (Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive), Montpellier.
'Follow Your Nature' is quite an interdisciplinary project. Environment and Nature based assessments meet Sustainable Tourism product development and promotion. By being a Nature literacy project, it's quite understandable that science fields like Biology, Geology, and Geography come out as easily reflected disciplines, and we were even lucky enough to gather the support of the Portuguese Biologist Association to create the first panel of specialists, for the 1st Edition.
But this project also addresses Sustainable Tourism - APTERN field of intervention - as well as film making, production and editing. For this we were sponsored by our media partner - Media Park - who were responsible for all the production, filming and editing of the first six webisodes as well as the first Documentary - 'Pico, da Terra até ao céu'.
APTERN's President was responsible for bringing all the representatives together, and the logistics were also taken care of by APTERN's staff, mainly our operation manager, who has a Master in International Business.
Also important was the Azores institutions intervention, particularly in the development of the documentary script. For instance, all the three Municipalities were able to provide their ideas and main natural places they would like to see represented; Pico Museums were also important not only as settings but also as information providers; and the Azores Regional Environment and Climate Change Bureau was very helpful in allowing for the filming to happen inside the Protected Areas, with the help of local technicians. The documentary can be seen here: https://youtu.be/1nO22rkfM0E
The innovative character of 'Follow Your Nature' lies deeply in its core.
This is a national nature literacy project that aims to give an overall view of the Country's nature, while inviting young people to explore, learn about, and promote the natural areas around them. This means that we have created an integrated and innovative way for young people to learn about what makes the Portuguese natural spaces ecologically unique, and about the ways these spaces have shaped the Portuguese culture and ways, or how we are still using services provided by them in our daily lives - just thinking about cork or even the Portuguese sidewalks cobblestones is impressive enough!
We are trying to change this new generation's perspective regarding Nature, focusing on showing them that Nature is a matter of identity, that we all should cherish it like an anthem, a flag or a national heritage site. We appreciate all the local efforts around environmental consciousness - and we even promote them in our environmental citizenship webisode themes - but 'Follow Your Nature' has a broader scope, because it wants kids to be proud of the Whole, while acting on their local share of that Whole.
'Follow Your Nature' was created having in mind that each unique feature of each natural area - like being the place where an endemic species has its habitat; or where a specific and unique geological phenomenon can be seen; or where there's a species that is unique by its size, or shape; or even because in that area lives an ancient tree, or a primitive forest still resists - can and should be portrayed has a knowledge space, where people can go for inspiration, relaxation, and reconnection. It's tourism with a twist. Because tourism should be a vehicle for sane interactions, both for people and Nature.
'Follow Your Nature's' methodology is possible, and is desirable, to be replicated in every EU Country where, through the years, an emotional separation from Nature has happened. It's really relevant in the context of Natura 2000 Network, and it's even more urgent in the Mediterranean Basin - one of the World's Biodiversity Hotspots which happens to be one of the most heavily pressured natural systems in Europe. Let's survey how many kids, living in the Countries of the Mediterranean Basin, are really aware that they live in an actual 'Biodiversity Hotspot'... the answers would for sure be sadly mind blowing.
So, in times of crisis, with scary rates in biodiversity loss, climate change emergency, rise of new pandemics, it's up to us to facilitate the future citizens and leaders of the world the tools that may allow them to do better, providing for human welfare without ignoring that we are part of the natural system, not above it. We can only do this if we develop large scale programs, dynamic and interesting enough to make kids engage, because after they interact with the natural environments - assuming we are still lucky enough to catch them before their 'Nature-Deficit Disorder' gets too stuck inside their minds - Nature will cast its spell, and will make them want to be part of something that will always be bigger than all of us.
'Follow Your Nature' literacy project makes use of a mixed methods approach to achieve its main goal: make children fall in love with Nature again.
First it teaches, second it impels students to visit their local natural area(s) and third, it goes further beyond, because it asks them to promote those areas, by filming a short video, showcasing its best assets. This makes them look to those natural areas as locals and as potential visitors, and it urges them to really think about what these spaces mean to them, and how do they make them feel. In a rushed world this is huge, because the tendency is not to dedicate too much time thinking about anything. Taking time to think, to admire and to be enchanted by something is a luxury, and 'Follow Your Nature' provides for that luxury.
But before anything else they must learn how to describe, and differentiate, their local natural area from all the others. They will have to watch 3 webisodes that will teach them about Classified Areas, Ecosystem Services and Key-Species. After learning how they can tell the story of their natural area, who are the leading actors, and where are the most compelling settings, they will be presented with 3 other webisodes, through which they will learn about the most responsible ways to engage and be part of this story: Nature Tourism and Sports; Nature Wellbeing; and Environmental Citizenship.
Only then they will truly be ready to revisit their natural local area and to see it and film it through the 'Follow Your Nature' lens. The competition starts after all the participants have upload their videos on our website (February 5 until February 26, 2023). Then a panel of judges will select 10 finalists (final list released on March 5th), that will be put on to public voting on 'Follow Your Nature' Instagram, until March 12th. The 5 most voted videos will be the winners of 'Follow Your Nature's competition. In this 2nd Edition these five winners will travel and shoot a Documentary in Santa Maria
The main global challenge addressed by 'Follow Your Nature' is the fast-growing disconnection between Man and Nature. This leads to a series of subsequent problems like major biodiversity loss, climate emergency and major related wellbeing, health and safety issues for people.
This large umbrella problem was created, and has gain such dimension, because of different man-driven conjunctures, but also, and mainly, because this disconnection has led to a disastrous illiteracy regarding nature's intrinsic value, and nature value for human benefit - its wellbeing, and ultimately, its survival.
This means that every project that tries to bring some light over nature's true importance is crucial, big or small. But it also allows us to realize that first of all it is important to understand the 'whole' before addressing the parts.
To teach our students how to become fully aware, responsible citizens, we must tell them how our lives are intertwined with nature, how we have evolved in and with nature (and are still evolving), how we depend on nature to our survival. We must tell them that because of this close evolutionary relationship, we are wired to feel better when we are in natural settings, and that, by consciously acknowledging this fact, we will be more likely to be willing to protect that nature. Knowledge is power, and freedom and empathy. 'Follow Your Nature' wants to tell the amazing story of Nature by integrating concepts, and putting them into perspective, while allowing these concepts to grow and develop in young people’s minds while they are embedded in their local natural settings. If they learn how to love their surrounding Nature, they will be more capable to look at the 'whole' and feel marveled by the incredible opportunity we were given to live in this inspiring and uplifting Planet.
'Follow Your Nature' is already a reality. It's a fully developed and implemented teaching methodology, based on systematic, scientifically proven contents, that are set to be the theoretical base of a short-film competition, featuring kids in their amazing local natural settings.
The 1st Edition took place during the last school year (2021-2022), and the 1st Documentary was shot in Pico Island, last April, during Easter break.
This project targets, directly, students from 12 to 18 years old, representing, in Portugal, a population of more than 600,000 kids. Indirectly, counting for teachers and parents, the target population is even more expressive.
For the 2nd Edition, that is about to start (on February the 1st, 2023) we have the full six new webisodes ready to launch, and every logistic, script, filming, and sponsoring details for the 2nd Documentary (that will happen in Santa Maria Island, Azores) are being taken care of, so that everything is ready, between 10-15 April, to host the winning students. The Documentary will premiere in June 2023, before summer vacations.
For this second year, we are already working on developing - in close relationship with schools and municipalities - the 'Follow Your Nature Clubs'. For this to happen, we are developing training programs for teachers - which will be held in collaboration with SPECO's Training Centre' - that will be available from March 2023, after proper accreditation by the competent entities.
A full consultancy program will then be presented to the municipalities aiming on helping them to become the facilitator and promotor of the community driven activities that enrolled students will envision, create and guide, on their local natural area(s)
'GreenComp' encompasses everything that 'Follow Your Nature' is about. As stated in the framework it 'identifies a set of sustainability competences to feed into education programs to help learners develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote ways to think, plan and act with empathy, responsibility, and care for our planet and for public health', and 'Follow Your Nature' is the perfect tool to achieve all these premises.
By going through the competences and its' subparts we can find 'Follow Your Nature's principles and purposes in each and every single one of them. It's almost like if 'Follow Your Nature' was created to answer to 'GreenComp' directly, if only we didn't have started our project before January 2022!
'Follow Your Nature's story can then be told by looking and reading in order all the 'GreenComp''s competences:
We are proud to be acting towards this future, with the help of this amazing nature literacy project 'Follow Your Nature'
"In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught."
Baba Dioum
