The participants, aged between 18 and 30 years, will examine the environmental, cultural and socio-economic impacts of climate change on the Wadden Sea ecosystem, and use their experiences and acquired knowledge to encourage their peers to become environmentally responsible citizens.
The training, organized by the British Council in collaboration with experts from GRID-Arendal and with the support of Youth in Action, is taking place on Langeness, a low-lying island in the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer National Park (Germany). By visiting the mudflats, saltmarshes and other ecosystems of the island and surrounding areas, the participants will learn about the challenges facing the Wadden Sea and sustainable development in this complex region.
A major emphasis of the training is peer-to-peer learning and networking. Together, the participants will share and develop ideas to respond to the complex issues and communicate their experiences through social media, newspapers and film. Participants will be encouraged to develop projects under the EU’s Youth in Action programme, which will be implemented locally after their return. They will also become part of the British Council’s global Climate Generation network, which empowers young people to bring about change locally and build the global movement towards a safer future.
The participants and trainers will be visiting the Multimar Wattforum (http://www.multimar-wattforum.de/) from approximately 10 am to 4pm on Friday 27 April, and welcome visits by journalists or other individuals interested in this training. Please take contact beforehand with Julia (see below).
Björn Alfthan, Project Officer – Polar Programme, GRID-Arendal
T +47 907 34432, E firstname.lastname@example.org
Julia Rawlins, Head of Partnerships and Networks, British Council
T +49 30 311099 75, E email@example.com
Further info: GRID-Arendal delivers experiential, place-based trainings to youth and other groups, using sustianable tourism as a means for inspiring and educating people about issues affecting a particular region and the linkages to the rest of the world. Please visit http://www.grida.no/tourism/product-service-detail.aspx?id=5100 for further information.
The Wadden Sea is one of the most important inter-tidal zones of the world, playing host to millions of migratory birds each year. The effects of climate change are already being felt on this ecosystem. Credit: Peter Prokosch