Winners of the Three4Climate Student Contest on Climate Neutrality met in Germany, Portugal and Slovenia
Winners weekend in Germany
The students from Germany took part in a workshop on climate activism and public relations. The six winners from Bielefeld met in Berlin for various activities such as a bike tour with the topic “critique of consumption” or a workshop with the Federal Agency for Civic Education on “Media landscape “. In addition, the group exchanged ideas with Fridays for Future activists from Berlin. In the evening, everyone took part in the short film event “Floating Cinema” from a pedal boat on the Berlin river Spree. On the last day, the students talked about their experiences in climate action with a journalist in the nature reserve “Sandgrube” in Berlin’s largest green area the Grunewald, took press photos and shot a film (see below). At 34 degrees Celsius, a short swim in the Teufelssee lake allowed for a little refreshment.
Winners weekend in Portugal
The students in Portugal visited the sustainable adventure park Parque Aventura Sniper in Bucelas (Loures Municipality, near Lisbon) and spent an action-packed weekend inside the nature park that is surrounded by endogenous plant species. They had the chance to go up a climbing wall and had to find their way out of a maze inside a cave. Not only adventure was on the agenda during this weekend, but also the opportunity to hear from the CEO of the park who explained the ethical reasons for this project which focuses on environmental protection and conservation of biodiversity. The students learned why this business model was chosen, what environmental sustainability measures were already implemented and which goals have been set for the future of the nature park.
Winners weekend in Slovenia
The winners of the Three4Climate student contest from Slovenia spent the weekend in Notranjska regional park which is characterized by a large number of karst phenomena both on the surface and underground. In the protected area there is a large number of rare and diverse habitats, flora and fauna, as well as geological and cultural heritage. During a walk on the first day students explored Rakov Škocjan Valley which was created due to the ceiling of a karst cave sinking and collapsing. This is proven by the 42-meter Little Natural Bridge and the 37-meter Big Natural Bridge.
On the second day students went cycling around Lake Cerknica, one of the largest intermittent lakes that disappears completely in the dry season. The area of Notranjska regional park is also known for the presence of brown bears. Local guides had prepared games such as finding a “bear” that was waiting at the end of the trail – with covered eyes (see picture). In addition to exploration and fun, students had the opportunity to hear and reflect on the importance of nature protection and preserving its diversity from local experts.
In addition to the Climate Action Days organized by the Three4Climate schools earlier in June, the weekend trips gave the winners of the Three4Climate contest the opportunity to explore in playful and informative ways how sustainable and climate friendly recreation can go hand in hand with nature conservation. It was also the first chance for the Three4Climate students to meet and connect with their peers within their countries in person and therefore build stronger bonds.
Three4Climate