On 28 January, the French Biodiversity Agency organised a webinar on land-sea links as part of the Bluelights project. This webinar was aimed at French teachers wishing to develop projects on land-sea links, with the goal of establishing twinning arrangements between schools located near the sea and other schools located upstream in the watershed.
In the introduction, a scientist explained to the teachers why land-sea links are important (in terms of biodiversity and nutrient exchange) and why they are now under threat (particularly due to pollutants carried to the sea by rivers).
Next, a primary school teacher and an environmental educator presented the ‘From Source to Sea’ project they have been running for two years. They first organised an exchange between their school in central France and another school near the sea in Le Havre. The pupils were able to visit and compare their educational areas, one terrestrial and the other marine (small natural areas they chose near their school, which they study and manage in a participatory manner). This year, they are organising an exchange with a secondary school working on the River Yonne, located an hour away from their school. This is a good way for them to work on the water cycle, as their school is located at the source of the Yonne.
For the 40 teachers and educators who attended the webinar, it was a good way to get more ideas for activities/projects they could launch on the theme of the land-sea connection. The last part of the webinar was devoted to exchanges between participants. Depending on their maritime basin, participants were divided into small rooms where they could discuss their projects, with the ultimate goal of creating a joint project!
This webinar was a good way for teachers to learn more about the land-sea connection and to network with other teachers. For those who were unable to attend, a contact list was created to make it easier for them to get in touch and launch their own land-sea project in their maritime basin.
As this webinar was a success, we could organise others with the following three objectives: to provide teachers and educators with scientific content, project ideas and tools, as well as contacts with their peers. If you want to know more about the “From Source to Sea” project, do not hesitate to have a look at this article (in French):
https://www.ac-dijon.fr/de-la-source-a-la-mer-131272
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