Youth4Biodiversity, part of the Planet4B Horizon project (P.N. 101082212), explores how a learning community of urban youth takes ownership of biodiversity prioritization and conservation efforts. This package intervention provided an immersive learning experience in a natural reserve in Germany, using experiential learning to strengthen ecological empathy and foster long-term engagement in sustainability.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Leutratal Nature Reserve, this initiative provided a living classroom experience, free from the distractions of modern urban life. The 10 participants, aged 18-30, all from different nationalities, shared a collective experience in the Adventure House. This space functioned as a conservation hub and an interactive learning center, providing the perfect setting for a transformative experience. It not only offers a
model for biodiversity preservation but also embodies community-driven conservation in action.
The package intervention was structured around transformative learning frameworks, combining experiential learning, non-formal education, outdoor education, and nature-based solutions. These methods helped participants deepen their understanding of sustainability and personal responsibility in biodiversity conservation.
Key theoretical models, such as the Value-Belief-Norm Theory, Attitude-Behavior-Context Theory, and the Three Spheres of Transformation, also played a role in shaping the program. The European Commission’s GreenComp framework also guided the intervention, emphasizing sustainability competencies for lifelong learning.
The plan was informed by previous research from Planet4B’s learning community, where a set of interventions and result indicators had already been brainstormed and decided as a result of multiple workshops on the topic of interventions for biodiversity awareness. The result was a package intervention that would include a hike, an outdoor cinema session, and a mindfulness session.
The Journey: A weekend in nature
Day 1: Arrival and setting the stage
The adventure began with a hike to the reserve, fostering an immediate connection with the environment. Upon arrival, participants set community guidelines for shared living and engaged in team-building activities to create a sense of trust and responsibility. Participants shared responsibilities for preparing dinner. Boiling water for drinking became a collaborative effort, requiring coordination and sustainable consumption habits.
Day 2: Connection with nature
A morning hike through former highway paths, now reclaimed by nature, allowed participants to witness ecosystem resilience firsthand. The journey included silent reflection exercises, sensory immersion in an ice-cold creek, and a nature-based exploration challenge, where teams engaged in scavenger hunts and role-playing sketches among the trees. Then, under a large tree, participants were guided through a mindfulness session incorporating progressive muscular relaxation and grounding exercises. After sharing responsibilities and engaging in communal dinner, an outdoor cinema setup emerged to project a documentary “Virunga” on mountain gorillas in Congo, exploring the intersection of biodiversity conservation, armed conflict, and human-wildlife coexistence.
Day 3: Carrying sustainability forward
Before departure, the group practiced “Leave No Trace” principles, ensuring the space was pristine. However, their return to urban life presented an unexpected challenge – no recycling bins in the nearby town. Rather than compromise their sustainability values, participants carried their waste back to Erfurt. This simple but powerful action embodied the principles of accountability, environmental integrity, and sustained commitment to conservation beyond the experience itself.
Impact & Results
The evaluations of the interventions revealed powerful outcomes:
- The hike fostered a moderate-to-high sense of ecological integration. This result reinforces the effectiveness of outdoor experiential methods in enhancing environmental awareness and biodiversity engagement.
- The mindfulness session shifted participants’ perceptions from discomfort in natural settings to peaceful coexistence, enhancing their emotional connection to biodiversity, ecological empathy, and well-being.
- Regarding the outdoor cinema session, participants acknowledged the importance of conservation efforts, highlighting biodiversity’s global significance. Additionally, the movie provoked an increased willingness to engage in local conservation efforts, an increased perception of personal responsibility, and it reshaped perceptions of conservation threats, with corporate influence emerging as a major concern.
- Regarding the package intervention, participants reported an increased sense of oneness with nature, a stronger feeling of belonging to the natural world, and a greater appreciation for the intelligence of other organisms. Disconnection from nature decreased, while kinship with animals and plants, awareness of ecological cycles, and recognition of shared life forces strengthened. Overall, participants moved towards a less anthropocentric view of nature, recognizing their place within a broader ecological system.
Key takeaways
The Youth4Biodiversity initiative underscored the power of immersive interventions in transforming environmental perspectives. Key recommendations include:
- Multi-sensory outdoor experiences should be integrated into biodiversity education to strengthen ecological awareness and emotional attachment to nature.
- Sustainable education programs should emphasize community-driven practices to foster a sense of responsibility.
- Context matters: environments that make sustainable actions necessary—rather than optional—can help bridge the gap between knowledge and real-world behavior.
- Environmental education programs should empower youth to take ownership of learning processes, fostering long-term commitment to sustainability.
- Package interventions work: future environmental education programs should prioritize immersive experiences that combine experiential learning and nature-based interventions.
Recommendations
Scalability & Replication:
Future initiatives should focus on replicating nature-based interventions in different ecosystems, ensuring accessibility for youth from urban and rural backgrounds alike.
Educational reform:
Schools and youth programs should incorporate outdoor experiential learning into formal education to deepen ecological empathy and bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world conservation.
Policy integration:
Nature-based education should be embedded in youth policy frameworks and environmental strategies at local, national, and EU levels. Strengthening the connection between youth work, biodiversity action, and public policy will enable young people to engage in conservation efforts as active stakeholders.
Increased funding:
More investment in immersive, nature-based education is needed to expand access, enhance program design, and support long-term engagement. Funding opportunities, should prioritize projects that foster youth-led biodiversity action.
Youth4Biodiversity: The power of immersive interventions and experiential learning
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PLANET4B receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101082212.This project is also funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee. And receives funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
This activity also incorporated the piloting phase of the Inside Out project (P.Nº: 2023–1-IS01-KA210-YOU-000160096)). Participants had the opportunity to test outdoor education tools for integration and well-being. This project is funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program.
