The Minett UNESCO Biosphere mobilises, educates and inspires

The year 2025 was a key year for the Minett UNESCO Biosphere, characterised by our commitment to placing citizens of all ages at the centre of our activities. Through a wide range of educational, cultural and digital initiatives, we have sought to strengthen the bond between residents and their region while raising awareness of environmental issues.

Education was the spearhead of our strategy. Even after the end of funding from the FNR (National Research Fund), our environmental education programme MiNELL was able to successfully continue its mission. Our “Tasting the Forest” workshops enabled participants to discover edible wild plants, thus creating a direct connection between nature and gastronomy. New activities such as “The Forest of the Future” addressed the challenges of climate change for our forests head-on.

Our collaboration, spanning an entire school term, with the École Internationale Gaston Thorn, enabled students to discover the natural heritage of the Minett and to carry out a creative awareness campaign with posters, a video and a podcast.

Minett Natur an Ëmwelt Léier Lab

Ecole Internationale Gaston Thorn

Innovation and Transparency: The Escape Games and the Mayors of the Region in Conversation

Since this year, our educational Escape Games can also be played in two of the core zones of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere. Through this educational innovation, some 400 students have discovered the industrial history and ecological challenges of our region in a playful and immersive manner, thereby learning about the uniqueness of the former open-cast mining areas in the Minett.

Transparency and dialogue have been strengthened by the fourth season of our podcast, “Minett Mash-Up”. This year, we spoke exclusively with the elected representatives of our eleven municipalities. We discussed with them concrete projects in their municipalities, nature, heritage, and the challenges for our region in terms of mobility, energy, and urban development, thus making local governance more accessible to everyone.

Minett Escape Games

Minett Mash-Up

The growth of our digital communication channels was also particularly notable in 2025. Through targeted campaigns on social media and media partnerships, especially with RTL and Visit Minett, we reached thousands of people. Visits to our website increased by 15%, and the number of our followers on Facebook and Instagram grew by 8% and 15% respectively—a testament to the growing interest in the projects of Luxembourg’s only biosphere reserve.

Through these actions, the Minett UNESCO Biosphere reaffirms its role as a catalyst for engagement, transforming awareness into concrete action for a sustainable future.