Photos from the Workshop 2 presentation. Source: Maryna Bykova.
On March 2, 2024, the PLANET4B Learning Community gathered in Erfurt, Germany, for its second workshop under the Urban Youth case study. Hosted by Culture Goes Europe (CGE), the session brought together a small yet highly engaged group of young adults aged 22–27, all based in Thuringia or Saxony-Anhalt, and with roots in both EU and non-EU countries. The aim: to explore how youth-led interventions can act as leverage points for transforming systems related to biodiversity. The day kicked off in a cozy working space with sunlight pouring in—an ideal setting for deep thinking and creative exchange. Following a quick recap of the previous workshop, participants revisited the system map they had co-developed, and then dove into the topic of leverage points, guided by a framework presented by CzechGlobe and adapted for the PLANET4B project
Photos from the Workshop 2 presentation. Source: Maryna Bykova.
Equipped with colored markers, printed slides, and a hands-on mindset, the group collaboratively analyzed three intervention methods using the Leverage Points framework: a Night Hike, an Outdoor Movie Night, and the Food-Governance Game. Spread across the table were notes, diagrams, and printed templates—evidence of the team’s structured yet reflective approach. Throughout the session, the discussions touched on core questions: Who initiates these interventions? Who participates? What emotional, social, or educational impacts do they generate? The participants drew from their own experiences and backgrounds, ensuring the analysis was grounded in lived reality. Photos from the session reflect a lively, collaborative atmosphere—young people thinking critically, writing, laughing, and building ideas together. A poster of the PLANET4B system map stood in the background, while laptops and coffee cups testified to the working energy in the room.
Photos from the Workshop 2 presentation. Source: Maryna Bykova.
Photos from the session reflect a lively, collaborative atmosphere—young people thinking critically, writing, laughing, and building ideas together. A poster of the PLANET4B system map stood in the background, while laptops and coffee cups testified to the working energy in the room. Photos from the session reflect a lively, collaborative atmosphere—young people thinking critically, writing, laughing, and building ideas together. A poster of the PLANET4B system map stood in the background, while laptops and coffee cups testified to the working energy in the room. Photos from the session reflect a lively, collaborative atmosphere—young people thinking critically, writing, laughing, and building ideas together. A poster of the PLANET4B system map stood in the background, while laptops and coffee cups testified to the working energy in the room.
By the end of the session, the group had developed clear insights into how small-scale activities—if thoughtfully designed—can influence mindsets, structures, and even policies. Rather than just discussing biodiversity in abstract terms, participants explored it as something tangible, emotional, and rooted in daily life. The workshop exemplified the PLANET4B vision: empowering young people to understand and influence the systems around them. As the Learning Community continues its journey, these moments of reflection and co-creation pave the way toward more inclusive, sustainable decision-making.
For more information about the project or to explore opportunities for collaboration, visit the PLANET4B website or email planet4b@zirs.uni-halle.de.
About PLANET4B Project
Horizon Europe research project PLANET4B aims to understand and influence decision making affecting biodiversity and to map existing knowledge that explains why certain decisions are made, to understand better how biodiversity can be prioritised in our decision-making.
PLANET4B receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101082212.
This project is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee.
This project receives funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Contact person:
Maryna Bykova, CGE Erfurt e.V.
