On 15 December 2025, 20 participants gathered at Parco Aymerich in Laconi, Italy, for the Biodiversity and sustainability workshop, an outdoor educational activity that combined environmental protection, technology, and cross-cultural exchange.
Objectives:
Gain knowledge about nature in Sardinia and specific existing plants on the island.
Support a clean environment through responsible participatory actions.
Better understand diversity in nature and ways to understand and protect it.
Desired Outcomes:
Facilitate cross-cultural exchange by combining local participants with a group of foreigners to discuss and compare flora and fauna across different European regions.
Enable local participants to share knowledge about their local biodiversity and ecosystem with others.
Learn more about the local environment using dedicated applications while fostering a conscious approach to environmental protection.
Description and Implementation:
Participants were divided into groups and given a list of plants to find within the Aymerich park in Laconi, a natural park located in the center of Sardinia featuring natural paths and territory-discovery routes. Equipped with trash bags, the groups collected litter while identifying as many listed plants as possible using the iNaturalist app. After a one-hour exploration, they returned to present their findings, share photographic evidence, and display the collected trash. Points were awarded based on plant identification accuracy and the amount of trash collected. The session concluded with a summarizing discussion highlighting learning points and ecological similarities between different countries.
Feedback:
Participants thoroughly enjoyed the activity and the opportunity to spend time outdoors interacting with nature.
They appreciated learning while having fun and discovering more about each other and their respective home countries.
They noted that participating in a direct clean-up action made the experience feel doubly meaningful and useful.
Results and Outcomes – Trainers/Facilitators:
The trainers learned that combining individuals from different backgrounds and ages, when properly balanced and guided, significantly enhances the activity. An unexpected and positive result was the participants’ heightened curiosity to replicate the activity in other countries to explore foreign biodiversity. The outcomes fully matched expectations.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
To benefit the wider STELLA project and future activities, the following recommendations are suggested:
Prepare a solid backup plan in case environmental or weather conditions are less than ideal.