Our planet supports the diversity of life in all forms. This is the message of the Erasmus+ "A Superpower to Defend Nature" Project!
The aim of the Project is to engage children with developmental disabilities in environmental activism and nature activities while special education teachers, outdoor educators and families come together with the common goal of protecting the natural environment.
The Project is coordinated by the Ornithological Society of Malta (BirdLife Malta) in collaboration with the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (Malta) (CRPD), the Hellenic Ornithological Society / BirdLife Greece, the Spanish Ornithological Society SEO / BirdLife Spain, the Italian Ornithological Society LIPU / BirdLife Italy, the “Theotokos” Foundation for the Protection of Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disorders and the Italian Down's syndrome Association "Onlus" of Pisa (Associazione Italiana Persone Down Onlus).
Our aim is to multiply the environmental education programmes provided to children with special educational needs, ensuring inclusive activities, access to environmental information and an enjoyable experience for all.
At the end of the Project, all institutions and groups involved in the protection of the natural environment and in the social inclusion of children on the autistic spectrum disorders, with intellectual disability, with learning difficulties or with sensory processing disorders will have at their disposal a series of guides that will bring us closer to the field, to nature, to action for its protection.
The actions of the Project were designed by a broader group of stakeholders with the participation of environmental organizations and also organizations working with people with developmental disabilities. To carefully design the guides, pilot applications are being organized with the participation of children and teachers in and out of the classroom, and part of this effort will be documented in a short video to promote the collective action message. Provision has also been made for information and training for the specialists who could potentially be involved in these collective actions.
Nature does not discriminate, diversity is indeed a treasure itself.
If we want to preserve this wonderful planet, we must all join forces in the fight to protect nature and all we have to do is to start spending time in it and for it!
