VISION - By 2030, school curricula has become much greener and focuses on making children agents of ecosystem regeneration. As a part of it, kids are sowing diverse seeds and growing small tree nurseries in their schools and organise annual tree planting activities in their municipalities with the involvement of local people. Forests made of diverse species that are adapted to climate change are being taken care of by these kids and communities for the benefit of all. The seeds of the work with Kids4Forests has sprouted into a movement through Europe with hundreds of schools and colleges including tree nurseries and tree planting into their curricula and contributing to a substantial increase of reforestation in their countries. By actively contributing to regenerating local areas, the mental health of youth and people involved is improving and becoming more resilient in the face of climate challenges. Kids-managed natural regeneration is happening all over.
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
The Kids4Forests project helps to create tree nurseries in school areas in different EU countries and organise annual planting events with these seedlings. Children along with their teachers learn the whole process from seed collection and seedbed preparation through planting and transplanting tree seedlings to taking care of these local forests. Most seeds and seedlings are collected by children for the nursery from nearby forests. Tree nurseries are replicated in other schools by children becoming young scientists and advocates for establishing tree nurseries and organising tree growing in other areas. This project has the ambition to jumpstart a movement across Europe, where children & youth are agents of change in the long process of forest restoration as one key field of action to reverse global warming. It’ll make them much better fit to face the future and become resilient adults.