September 2021

In September 2021, the “Moselle-Sud” region becomes a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the ” Man and the Biosphere ” programme.

The first contacts are established between the Minett UNESCO Biosphere and the 16th French biosphere reserve.

Spring/ Summer 2022

The idea of creating the first “Aire Terrestre Educative” in Luxembourg is in line with the concept of MiNELL – Minett Natur an Ëmwelt LéierLab, as it is an active transfer of knowledge in the field of nature and environment to school children.

The people in charge of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere start looking for a suitable site.

It soon becomes clear that the arboretum “An Aenzelen” in Rumelange is the right place to start this project.

Autumn 2022

Together with the Nature”and Forest Agency (ANF), the City of Rumelange, the primary schools of Rumelange and the CIGL of Rumelange, the Minett UNESCO Biosphere finds the right partners, who are enthusiastic about the idea of creating an “Aire Terrestre Educative” and agree to contribute to the realisation of the project.

The launch of the project is planned for January 2023.

19.01.2023

The two classes from Rumelange who will be working on the project over the next 12 months explore the terrain for the first time.

The arboretum “An Aenzelen” is to become the first “Aire Terrestre Educative” in Luxembourg by January 2024.

25.01.2023

After the visit of the site, the children brainstorm together on the design of their “Aire Terrestre Educative”.

Countless ideas arise and are now analysed to determine what is pedagogically relevant and can be implemented on the ground.

25.01.2023

The Minett UNESCO Biosphere team went to Vaspersviller to learn more about the “Aire Terrestre Educative” of the Moselle Sud Biosphere Reserve.

Around 100 children, divided into 4 groups, took part in four different workshops. They discovered the work of the local forester and animals as well as videos from the photo traps in their natural area. They learned about the history of the many sawmills along the river, which were driven by water power and could feel the power of hydraulic energy with the help of a small water wheel.

Afterwards, they were introduced to the wildlife of the area and the children planted shrubs and trees to stabilise the riverbed.

26.04.2023

The two classes from Rumelange who are participating in our pilot project “Aire Terrestre Educative” met Jan Herr. Jan Herr is in charge of protection measures in the Natura 2000 zones in southern Luxembourg.

Together with the scientist, the children were able to discover a specific area of the arboretum: the old quarry face.

This stone vestige, created by open-cast iron ore mining activities, was recently restored by the Administration de la Nature et des Forêts (ANF).

05.07.2023

In May, the children discovered the arboretum in a playful way. Together with the team from Spektrum Rumelange, the children discovered the technique of “land art”: creating works of art in nature using natural materials.

They were shown examples of artworks and were able to ask questions. They then collected materials to create their own works. Each child built their own small work and presented their idea.

Finally, all the children worked together as a group to continue building and decorating an existing hut.

08.11.2023

In autumn, the pupils got to know the local deciduous trees, including the copper beech, the chestnut tree, the cherry tree and the oak.

Nature guide Camille Reiter explained the identification of leaves in a playful way. The children were told how to recognise the distinctive features based on shape, size, stem, edge and feel and then went in search of the respective leaves.

In this way, a herbarium full of autumn colours was created in one afternoon, which will be dried and glued and identified in a second stage with the pupils.

15. & 22.11.2023

In class, the pupils had to guess which tree each dried leaf belonged to. They then glued the leaves on and wrote the characteristics of the tree species beside them.

They also drew a small illustration of the seed of each tree. Together they completed their autumn herbarium.

21. & 28.02.2024

The pupils assembled birdhouses using nails that had been pre-cut by CIGL Rumelange. They then applied the first coat of paint as a primer, which makes the houses weatherproof.

25.03.2024

Together with employees of the Nature Agency (ANF), the birdhouses were hung in the arboretum “An Aenzelen”. The children were able to decide which trees would be the new homes for the next generation of birds, as their birdhouses were hung there.

15.04.2024

80 schoolchildren from the Moselle South Biosphere Reserve visited the Aire Terrestre Educative in Rumelange.

The Rumelange children showed their French guests what they have been doing at the ATE so far. The children then got creative, designing land art and building a sundial, which now stands in the arboretum.

22.04.2024

In collaboration with the graphic designer Lisa Keiffer and the cultural centre Spektrum, the two school classes from Rumelange will redesign the signage in the arboretum where the Aire Terrestre Educative is located.

The project will last until the summer holidays and will be officially presented in the arboretum in the autumn. On this occasion, Radio 100.7 was present to introduce the Aire Terrestre Educative concept to its listeners.

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