EcoAdventures: we held four regional workshops for teachers

Within the LIFE2RIVERS project, we are implementing EcoAdventures, experiential interdisciplinary workshops in which teachers, with our support, will encourage primary and secondary school students to explore river ecosystems through hands-on activities in nature.

In the first half of this year, we began training the teachers who will lead the EcoAdventures – the Train the Trainers program. For this purpose, we prepared educational materials and organized a series of online training sessions for teachers. Then, in May and June, we met all the teachers in person at four regional workshops.

At the regional workshops for teachers, we sampled and identified aquatic invertebrates. Photo: Urša Očko

First Regional Workshop, Maribor, May 15, 2025

The first regional workshop, hosted by the Biotechnical School of Maribor, was the largest in terms of participation, with 19 teachers and 3 students attending.

Under the guidance of Annasibila (NIB), we first refreshed our knowledge on the methods for sampling aquatic invertebrates. Racing against an approaching storm, we quickly headed to the nearby Rošpoh stream to try out the sampling techniques in practice. We successfully avoided the raindrops and brought the collected samples without incident to the well-equipped conservation laboratory at the Biotechnical School of Maribor, where we analyzed them. We identified the species present and assessed the ecological status of the stream using the Trent Biotic Index. During the break, we exchanged examples of good practices and shared diverse ideas for future educational projects. The workshop concluded with a lecture by our Maja (IE), who, among other things, provided some guidance on how to conduct interviews with students on their perceptions of rivers in the local environment.

Second Regional Workshop, Domžale, May 27, 2025

The second regional workshop was hosted by Domžale High School. We conducted sampling in the Kamniška Bistrica, just below its confluence with the Rača. This time, we were caught by a few raindrops, but we still managed to collect a large sample on a small gravel bed, which we then carefully examined in the classroom. A microscope was also available for observing microplastics, which we definitely had to test on our macro-benthic samples. During the closing discussion of the second regional workshop, we also talked about ways to further motivate students to engage with the activities.

Third Regional Workshop, Dolenjske Toplice, May 28, 2025

At Dolenjske Toplice Primary School, we were joined by a smaller but highly motivated group, who proved their skills while sampling in the somewhat harder-to-access Sušica stream. In the samples, we also observed dragonfly larvae, which was particularly fascinating for all participants. After analyzing the samples, we delved into natural science measurements, discussed how they can be translated into a societal context, and explored what citizens can do with this data. We also talked about how students who may not have a personal connection to local rivers, because they do not live nearby, could still carry out interviews effectively.

Fourth Regional Workshop, Ajdovščina, June 3, 2025

The final regional workshop was hosted by Šturje Ajdovščina Primary School. As a warm welcome, the hosts prepared delicious homemade cherries that no one could resist. Nine teachers joined the workshop, and after a brief introduction, we headed to the Hubelj River. We were at a beautiful location below the Youth Center, but due to the cooler water near the spring, we did not record as much species diversity as in previous workshops. Nevertheless, we really enjoyed the fieldwork. Tilen (DOPPS) introduced us to bird species that feed on aquatic invertebrates, such as the dipper. During Maja’s (IE) presentation of the Young Journalists assignment, a participant shared her experience of preparing a water-themed newspaper with her students. We also received an excellent suggestion to allow schools to share short news items and photos of their EcoAdventures on the project website, which would inspire other schools to engage in active outdoor learning as well.