THE FORESTAMI SCHOOL AND PARCO NORD MILANO TOGETHER FOR AN EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE THAT INVOLVED FOUR CHILDHOOD SCHOOLS IN THE CAPITAL OF LOMBARDY. THE PROJECT “ANGLES OF BIODIVERSITY”HAS THE AIMS OF BRINGING CHILDREN CLOSER TO NATURE, TEACHING THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY THROUGH PRACTICAL AND IMMERSIVE ACTIVITIES
Creating biodiversity corners for a sustainable future
Last May 14, 2024, in the LIM classroom of Parco Nord Milano, extraordinary projects for the redevelopment of the gardens of four Milanese schools were presented for the 2023/2024 school year.
For the occasion, the organizers underlined how these initiatives have made green school spaces more beautiful and functional.
The training and education initiative, aimed at younger people and promoted by Forestami in collaboration with Parco Nord Milano, which manages the educational activities, came to life thanks to the support of A2A (an Italian company involved in local services and technological solutions) .
The project “Corners of Biodiversity”, represents a model of environmental education that aims to train new generations who are more attentive and respectful of the environment, where children can learn and interact with nature.
Awareness corners
The initiative has first and foremost transformed green spaces into places rich in biodiversity. «Increasing biodiversity is a mission that the Municipality of Milan is carrying out in multiple directions. The projects involving four nursery schools are particularly relevant because the activities are participated by the children, who will be the adults of tomorrow” he has declared Elena Grandicouncilor for the environment and greenery.
Furthermore, the educational activities allowed the young students to actively participate in the care and management of small ecosystems, right from the initial stages. From design to construction and creation of portions of the gardens, with particular attention to biodiversity, so as to enrich the natural capital of the neighborhood.
The aim is to encourage the development of greater ecological awareness from an early age
During the current school year, the young students have had the opportunity to explore and understand the value of plants and animals in their daily environments. But what are the four “green excellence” and what did they accomplish?
The four gardens redeveloped in Milan’s nursery schools
The schools involved in the project are:
The Barabino Nursery School (Municipality 4)
Complex: Ontani Nursery School (Town Hall 7)
Betti Nursery School (Town Hall 8)
Cato Nursery School (Town Hall 9)
The Barabino nursery school: corners of biodiversity to attract animal friends who live in the city
In collaboration with the Cascina Library Cooperative, the students transformed a disused vegetable garden into a multifunctional green space. Here’s what was accomplished:
Butterfly garden: creating an area with ornamental nectariferous plants, such as sage, to attract butterflies;
Installation of flower beds with aromatic herbs, useful for pollinating insects;
Creation of a corner of meadow with wild flowers to enrich biodiversity;
Setting up areas with covered feeders and nest boxes for birds such as great tits and redstarts;
As for educational activities, two workshops were organized to explain to children the importance of urban biodiversity and how to take care of the garden.
Ontani nursery school: stimulating the use of the senses and experience
At the Ontani Nursery School, an innovative project was created on an 80 m2 surface dedicated to increasing biodiversity and observation and exploration by children. The project created four distinct zones:
An uncultivated corner that acts as a small ecosystem, where children can observe the spontaneous growth of plant species and the presence of insects and other small animals;
Odor island: an area with aromatic plants that stimulates children’s olfactory senses;
Flowery meadow: a space where children can witness the growth and natural transformations of plants in a short time;
Fairy Parliament: a place dedicated to sharing, where children can participate in readings and theatrical activities.
In parallel with the creation of the garden, an accompanying path for educational activities in the field was proposed. The children had the opportunity to watch the work right from the preparation of the ground, actively involving them and making the experience educational and immersive.
Betti Nursery School: observing the change in nature
At the Betti Nursery School, the children, together with the teachers and guided by the AmbienteAcqua APS cooperative, actively participated in the co-design and co-creation of a space dedicated to biodiversity. In short, a sort of open-air laboratory for observing the natural world. To be precise, three “islands of biodiversity“:
Biodiversity corner: this area includes local shrub species, such as hedges and rows typical of the Po Valley, selected for their ability to support biodiversity with flowers and fruits;
A meadow intended for the observation of Lepidoptera (butterflies) and Hymenoptera (bees and wasps), which offers children the opportunity to see these important insects up close;
Uncultivated area: a space left for natural growth to allow the observation of wild nature and spontaneous plant growth processes.
Next to these flowerbeds, fixed observation points have been installed, where children can take photographs at predefined time intervals. This allows them to document and study changes over time, training their ability to observe and understand natural processes.
Catone Nursery School: biodiversity corners that start from children’s desires
The Catone Nursery School, in collaboration with the Parco Nord Milano institution, has created an innovative project that starts from the desires and ideas of the children themselves. The heart of the project is a sensorial journey that stimulates the senses through the use of wooden boxes containing small shrubs and aromatic plants. These plants are selected to attract different species of insects and butterflies, thus creating an environment rich in biodiversity.
To actively involve children in the design of the garden, class meetings were organised. During these meetings, the children had the opportunity to express their ideas and suggestions about nature, so as to contribute to the creation of an environment that reflects their interests and desires.
Future projects
«We want to experiment with more and more new paths to make the little ones fall in love with the natural environment, teaching them to respect it and take care of what is beautiful and delicate, sometimes fragile.” To explain it, Anna Scavuzzo, deputy mayor and councilor for education of the Municipality of Milan. «It is certainly a concrete and fascinating way to let them experience moments of immersion in the beauty and biodiversity that becomes an educational experience”.