When Education Meets Fun

Who said you can’t go hiking in autumn?

We, at the Minett UNESCO Biosphere, believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing and here is what we did.

The Scavenger Hunt and Hike

On Saturday November 12, eleven curious youths took the challenge and embarked on the first Scavenger Hunt and Hike organized by the Minett UNESCO Biosphere in the forest of Ellergronn in Esch-sur-Alzette.

The main goal of the event was to raise environmental awareness regarding forest biodiversity and ecology, through exploring the profoundness of the environmental disturbances related to the past mining activities and accentuating the importance of environmental protection – all while having FUN.

The challenge

Seven objects were hidden throughout the didactic trail track in the forest of Ellergronn, each having a riddle that leads to the next object in the queue. The participants, divided into three groups, had to decipher the riddles, and recognize the location of the hidden objects, as the group that collects the highest number of hidden objects wins the challenge.

“We had the chance to discover the area and learn more about its history and environment. The treasure hunt competition was a fun element in the event that made people socialise!” – Umut, The yellow team

The educational component

Throughout the hike the participants learned, through active discussion and exchange of expertise, about various environmental topics. Topics included: habitat fragmentation and the importance of ecological networks, some geology of the Minett region, iron extraction and processing and the environmental disturbances that follow, the edge effect phenomenon and its significance to biodiversity and ecology and many more.

The winning team

Having found 6 out of the 7 hidden objects, the pink team won the competition. At the end of the event, the winning team received a valuable prize, a honey batch from the local producers in the biosphere reserve.

“I loved that we got to discover the nature of Esch-sur-Alzette in a fun and very informative way! Kudos to the team working on the project!” – Christel, The pink team

 

Want to join our next events?

If you feel inspired and want to join our next events, follow our accounts “Minett UNESCO Biosphere” on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and do not forget to keep an eye on our website.

Stay tuned! More events are in the pipeline!