NatureFriends planning weekend

Last weekend we had the NatureFriends Secretaries meeting, in the welcoming and cozy NatureFreundeJugend Haus in Hannover.

It was a fantastic experience, where we re-connected with like-minded individuals and changemakers, worked together to find solutions to our common challenges, and discussed future exciting project ideas and partnerships.

From left to right: Esther, from Biodiversa (Spain); Pece, from SPPMD (Macedonia); Sarka, from IYNF (Czech Republic); Judith, from NaturFreunde Lower Saxony (Germany); Juul, from Nivon Jong (The Netherlands); Sara, ESC volunteer for NaturFreundeJugend Berlin (Germany) and Sina, IYNF and NaturFreundeJugend Berlin (Germany). Clara, also from NaturFreundeJugend is missing from the picture as she joined us later.

Anuncio publicitario

Training course «Connecting Cultures» – Call for participants

Biodiversa offers two places for Spanish residents to participate in the training course «Connecting Cultures», which will take place in Kandersteg, Switzerland from 23rd to 29th November 2015. 

A non-formal, creative and interactive 6-day residential training approach to explore and develop new community-based intercultural activities.

Participants will explore intercultural practice, define their needs, share experiences and inspire each other to develop intercultural strategies and actions for their work in the youth field.

More information and instructions on how to apply can be found in the following document:

http://ow.ly/SrqaT

Deadline to apply: 5th October 2015. Hurry up!

Connecting with Nature: results

Participants of Connecting with Nature. From left to right, standing: Iñigo, Hovhannes, Sarah, Noa, Agnese, Agita, Estefi, Flo, Sandra, Toni, Mikayel, Zara, Serbal, Kristina, Shhirin, Eni, Liene, David, Seb and Sole. From left to tight, squatting: Esther, Sorin, Masa, Isa, Álvaro, Catarina and Lydia. The countries represented were: Armenia, Albania, Austria, Germany, Latvia, Portugal, Moldova, Serbia and Spain.

We are happy to say that all the objectives of the project were met! We asked participants how far they thought that each objective was achieved and this is what they said

Connecting with Nature in «3» words

We asked participants to describe our latest training course «Connecting with Nature» in 3 words. This is what we got: 

Connecting with Nature: testimonies

3,2,1… Connecting with Nature!

Our next greatest training course is starting 3 days from now! (Monday 18th May). 24 lucky participants from 9 different countries will gather in the valley of Gods (Asturias, Spain) to experience some serious nature connection.

This training course will be aimed at helping young people living in urban areas to re-connect with their natural environment. We believe that if young people learn to appreciate nature, they will live happier and become more responsible citizens. This has been verified by a recent study by the RSPB: “when young people are connected to nature, it has positive impacts on their education, physical health, emotional wellbeing, and personal and social skills, and helps them to become responsible citizens”.

Connecting with Nature – call for participants

Update: application period closed. Applicants will be informed on the selecion process results by 27th February.

Biodiversa is offering 26 places for people coming from 10 different countries to participate in our next training course: “Connecting with Nature”, in the beautiful valley of Valdediós (“valley of Gods”), in the region of Asturias, north Cantabric coast of Spain, from 18th to 24th May 2015.

If you can travel to the training course from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Germany, Latvia, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Serbia or Spain, it’s your lucky day! If not, pass this call on to some friends and keep an eye on Biodiversa’s blog and Facebook: there might soon be an opportunity for you.

This training course will be aimed at helping young people living in urban areas to re-connect with their natural environment. We believe that if young people learn to appreciate nature, they will live happier and become more responsible citizens. This has been verified by a recent study by the RSPB: “when young people are connected to nature, it has positive impacts on their education, physical health, emotional wellbeing, and personal and social skills, and helps them to become responsible citizens”.

The objectives of this training course are:

• For participants to experience activities which develop connection with nature;
• For participants to share activities which develop connection with nature;
• To help young people connect with the nature around them,
• To practice and encourage enjoyment of nature,
• To develop empathy for creatures,
• To develop a sense of oneness with nature,
• To develop a sense of responsibility for the environment.

Conditions for participation:

• Over 18 years old at the time of the training course,
• Travelling from any of the 10 partner countries (see top paragraph),
• Speak English fluently,
• Ideally come from an urban area,
• Willing to spend a week inmersed in nature.

Preference will be given to existing members of Biodiversa and the other partner organisations: Föj-Aktiv, Gaia y Sofia, Media Education Centre, Spin Association, Environmental Center for Development Education and Networking, Balta Daba, Viaje a la Sostenibilidad, Asociatia Ecouri Verzi, CRCT Gutta-Club, Neront, Khazer and Homo Ecos.

Costs:

• Comfortable accommodation in a big traditional rural house and delicious organic meals will be provided during the training course by the organizers at no cost for you;
• Your travel costs will be refunded after your participation in the training course (provided all the original tickets and receipts are presented) up to a maximum of 820 EUR for Armenia, 360 EUR for Albania, Latvia, Moldova, Romania and Serbia, 275 EUR for Austria, Germany and Portugal and 180 EUR for Spain (only if you travel from more than 100 km away);
• Participation fee: Money shouldn’t be an obstacle against your participation – therefore we suggest a sliding scale from 25 to 100€. We want to give you the possibility to self-evaluate how much you can contribute financially, and how much you consider a fair fee for a 7 days training programme. Exceptions to this fee are also possible after evaluation from the organisers in a case by case basis;
• CO2 offset fee: Please note that you will be required to offset the CO2 emissions produced by your air travel through the following site: http://www.atmosfair.de/en/. This amounts to 15 EUR per person for the round trip (we have calculated the total emissions of your flights in 22 tons of CO2 and shared the compensation costs amongst everyone).

More information:

• Click here to have a look at the preliminary programme of the course: Preliminary programme Connecting with Nature
• Click here if you can understand Spanish: «Connecting with Nature»: ¡aprobado!.

How to apply:

Fill in the application form. Deadline: 16th February at 10AM CET.

This project is funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Commission.

Connecting with Nature: ¡aprobado!

Biodiversa ha recibido anticipadamente su regalo de Navidad: tenemos la confirmación oficial de que ¡¡¡nuestro próximo curso de formación, «Connecting to Nature», ha sido aprobado!!!

«Connecting with Nature» reunirá en Asturias, del 18 al 24 de Mayo de 2015, a 30 jóvenes «urbanitas» de 10 países diferentes (Albania, Alemania, Armenia, Austria, Letonia, Moldavia, Portugal, Rumanía, Serbia y España ).

Más del 70% de Europeos vive en las ciudades

En las ciudades modernas, la gente en general, y los jóvenes en particular, han perdido toda conexión con el medio natural. Cada vez más gente vive en las ciudades (más del 70% de Europeos, según el Departamento de Asuntos Económicos y Sociales de la ONU) y cada vez las ciudades tienen menos zonas verdes (menos del 15% según la Agencia Europea de Medio Ambiente).

Consecuencias de la desconexión

De acuerdo con un estudio publicado en 2013 por la RSPB (Sociedad Real para la Protección de las Aves, por sus siglas en Inglés), los niños y jóvenes que no tienen conexión con la naturaleza demuestran peores resultados académicos, una salud mental y física mediocre, y habilidades sociales subdesarrolladas, lo cual desemboca, entre otras cosas, en una dismunución de su papel como ciudadanos activos y de sus aptitutes generales para la empleabilidad.

Beneficios de recuperar la conexión

Nuestro objetivo general es ayudar a los jóvenes a recuperar esa conexión perdida con la naturaleza.

Pretendemos conseguir beneficios en tres campos:

1. En los jóvenes participantes y su círculo de influencia. Pues está demostrado que la conexión con la naturaleza tiene impactos positivos en su educación, su salud física, su bienestar emocional, sus habilidades sociales y personales, y les ayuda a convertirse en ciudadanos responsables (fuente: Connecting with Nature, RSPB, 2013) y más aptos para incorporarse al mundo laboral;

2. En la sociedad. Ya que una sociedad formada por individuos activos, sanos y responsables es más exitosa que una en la que las personas que la conforman han perdido esas habilidades y aptitudes;

3. En el medioambiente. Pues despertando el sentimiento de responsabilidad sobre nuestro entorno estaremos creando individuos que respetan y cuidan el medio ambiente que sustenta la vida en La Tierra.

Objetivos de nuestro proyecto

Los objetivos específicos son:

– Facilitar que los jóvenes conecten con la naturaleza que les rodea,

– Practicar y fomentar el disfrute de la naturaleza,

– Desarrollar empatía por otros seres vivos,

– Desarrollar un sentido de pertenencia y unidad con la naturaleza,

– Desarrollar un sentido de responsabilidad por el medio ambiente.

Estad atentos a la apertura del plazo de solicitudes. ¡No os lo querréis perder!

Call for partner organisations – training course «Connecting with Nature»

Biodiversa is currently looking for partners for our first Erasmus + training course (Key Action 1 – mobility for young people and youth workers) titled “Connecting with Nature”, which will hopefully take place in Valeri, Asturias (Spain) from 1^st to 7^th September 2014. We will apply for the 17^th March deadline.

The training course will be aimed at helping young people living in urban areas to re-connect with their natural environment. We believe that if young people learn to appreciate nature, they will live happier and become more responsible citizens. This has been verified by a recent study by the RSPB: “when young people are connected to nature, it has positive impacts on their education, physical health, emotional wellbeing, and personal and social skills, and helps them to become responsible citizens”.

The objectives of the TC are:

• To help young people connect with the nature around them,
• To practice and encourage enjoyment of nature,
• To develop empathy for creatures,
• To develop a sense of oneness with nature,
• To develop a sense of responsibility for the environment.

If your organisation counts with members interested in taking part in this training course, please fill in the partnership application form by Sunday 9^th of March at 12:00 (midday) GMT +2.