“SEMI DI FUTURO – CRESCERE INSIEME PER IL PIANETA”: THE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT FOR SCHOOLS SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF OUR FORESTS

“Semi di futuro – crescere insieme per il Pianeta” (“Seeds of the future – growing together with the planet”) is the name of the new education project run by Fondazione Iris Ceramica Group in partnership with the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park and with the support of the La Lumaca social cooperative. An initiative currently aimed at 10 schools in 6 municipalities of our territory – Castellarano, Castelnuovo Rangone, Fiorano Modenese, Formigine, Maranello, Sassuolo – involving a total of 30 classes in the cultivation and care of nurseries of native plants.
The Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park, a focal point in the Euro-Mediterranean climatic border, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: this title is assigned to areas that, through appropriate territorial management, associate the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity with the sustainable use of natural resources, benefiting local communities.
In this unique context, a multi-target project was developed on several topics:

1. Environmental education: the students will learn to recognise and appreciate the economic, social and environmental benefits brought to the community and individuals by the forests of the Biosphere Reserve.
2. Awareness of ecosystemic services: the students will become aware of the importance of ecosystemic services, underlining how forests contribute to human and environmental well-being.
3. The impact of and fight against the climate crisis: the impacts of the climate crisis on the forests of the Biosphere Reserve will be forecast. The students will be informed of the interventions required to minimise the impacts of the climate crisis and will be able to implement concrete actions to mitigate and fight them.
4. Caring for the forests and enhancing the role of the young generations: the project sets out to foster care for the forests by young people, enhancing their fundamental role in fighting the climate crisis and underlining the importance of learning and active participation.
5. Spreading the sustainability culture: the project fosters the culture of environmental responsibility and sustainability in schools and local communities, creating a network of young environmental conservation and nature ambassadors.

To achieve these aims, the project will run a series of practical and learning activities, including:

• Practical activities and workshops with the children;
• Training and active involvement of the teachers and school staff;
• Engagement and participation of the families;
• Production of learning and project support materials;
• Documentation, sharing of results and promotion of the large-scale replicability of the project.

A central focus of the project is the delivery to each school of an innovative table nursery called “Grow”, designed for the multi-annual cultivation of young plants. The table, equipped with sensors to remotely measure the soil humidity and temperature, is not only a furnishing element but an authentic educational tool. Its convex, theatrical shape was designed to enhance the cultivation experience, while innovative educational methods get the children directly involved in its construction. Every school will also receive all they need to get started: 45 pots of earth, gloves, watering cans and a water recovery system, creating the ideal conditions for plant growth and student engagement.

“Semi di futuro – crescere insieme per il Pianeta” is a unique opportunity for our local schools to actively contribute to conserving the forests and fight the climate crisis. The project demonstrates the commitment of Fondazione Iris Ceramica Group to educating and inspiring the new generations to protect our precious natural heritage. Through concrete actions and the involvement of the whole school community and the families, this initiative aims to disseminate a culture of sustainability, to grow together and build a better future for our planet.