In the management plan published in 2020, the Bergstrasse-Odenwald Geo-Nature Park already defined the development of a concept for Education for Sustainable Development (in short: ESD concept) as one of the central projects promptly to be implemented. Since the launch in autumn 2020, the Geo-Nature Park has been developing its strategy in the field of ESD for the coming years together with the IfLS and with the involvement of regional actors. In this way, the Geo-Nature Park is fulfilling the mandate enshrined in the Federal Nature Conservation Act to further develop and expand the educational in the sense of ESD and, as a UNESCO Global Geopark, is also making an important contribution to the implementation of Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
In order to include both the offers and the ideas and wishes of regional actors, an extensive participation process was organised. In addition to an online survey, interested parties were able to make a decisive contribution to the development of the ESD concept within the framework of three consecutive workshops (in January, March and May). In addition to a detailed inventory of existing offers, active ESD practitioners and target groups in the area of the Geo-Nature Park, the workshops also defined focal points and targets in the field of ESD, discussed important aspects with regard to quality assurance and exemplary ESD offers and lead projects within the ESD framework. A key project in this context is the establishment of a virtual 'ESD Academy' with the aim of networking providers and multipliers and compiling offers for further education and training.
Over the summer, the many ideas will be summarised in a concept of 20-30 pages. The aim is to create an explicit roadmap on how existing educational offers in the Geo-Nature Park can be further developed in terms of ESD and, in particular, how ESD can be structurally anchored in the Geo-Nature Park.
Contact persons at IfLS: Svea Thietje (thietje[at]ifls.de) and Dr Ulrich Gehrlein (gehrlein[at]ifls.de)
