Workshops to discover a natural space

about 15 sessions over one or two years

for children and young people between 8 and 19 years old

The Léierlabs ‘Aire terrestre éducative’ take place in a defined natural space, such as a forest, a park or a neighbourhood, and allow children and young people to take ownership of this space in order to explore it in depth.

Over the course of the year, the participants learn about different topics related to nature and ecology, and at the same time develop their own projects related to this space. Each year, they democratically decide which topics they want to explore in depth, becoming agents of their own learning.

This workshop offers an immersive, dynamic and participatory outdoor educational experience that encourages curiosity, collaboration and creativity among children and young people.

The ATE of Rumelange

The arboretum “An Aenzelen”

Two classes of the 3rd and 4th cycle of Rumelange participated in the first ‘Aire terrestre éducative’ in Luxembourg. After a first visit to the arboretum ‘An Aenzelen’ in Rumelange, the children collected ideas for topics they wanted to explore on site. They then explored these themes during regular field trips and workshops led by specialists in various techniques, such as land art or the making of sundials. These visits taught the pupils about the history and ecology of the arboretum and the protection of the surrounding Natura 2000 sites and nature reserves.

After these explorations, the children voted on the implementation of concrete environmental protection measures, such as the construction and installation of nesting boxes for birds and a clean-up campaign.

Finally, the children decided to develop new information signs to give visitors an overview of the nature and history of the region. These signs contain information, graphics and creative contributions from the pupils, summarising their discoveries and ideas developed during the project. This initiative allowed the students to become active participants in the protection of their environment, while developing their social skills and ecological knowledge.

Details of the concept

What is an “Educational Land Area – Aire Terrestre Educative”? Who developed the concept? A detailled description of this concept can be found on the webpages of the Office Français de la Biodiversité:

Click here for more details

Chronology of the ATE in Rumelange

We documented step by step the creation of the first “Aire Terrestre Educative” in the UNESCO Biosphere and in the whole country:

See the chronology here