The project kickoff was hosted by Sabine Pumberger, a cooperation partner and managing director of the Attersee-Traunsee Nature Park. The nature park played a key role in selecting the participating schools: All of them are nature park schools and share a common interest in the issues addressed by TERRA.

The meeting was attended by some of the dedicated school principals and all participating teachers, who will guide their classes through the three content modules. Also in attendance were our corporate partners Sabine Ablinger, an organic farmer and nature educator, and forest educator Leopold Putz, who represented the Austrian Federal Forests.

The Austrian Federal Forests will help design the very first module this fall, which will focus on forest soil. In the spring, Sabine Ablinger will lead the module centered on the soil that provides us with food. The following fall, the focus will then shift to soil in mountainous regions.

The goal of the project is to work with the participating students to examine the different soil types, their characteristics, functions, and importance for biodiversity - and thereby determine how these soils can best be protected. The focus is on raising awareness and fostering a sense of self-efficacy among children and young people so they can consciously experience and preserve their own natural environment.