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Children love Natural world and are part of it | Civic Europe
Environment and sustainability, Health

Children love Natural world and are part of it

The environment where children grow is decisive for their life. Children deserve the best environment we could develop. Nature-based solutions are our best choice!

Creators

Who is behind this?

Daniela Pandurska

Zelenika Foundation

http://www.zelenika.org

Bulgaria

Idea

Idea pitch

Historically humans lived in more rural and wild landscapes, and children spent more of their childhood outdoors, allowing exposure to more microbes. How could we plant a love of nature in kids having in mind they are mainly grown in urban environment and how to restore the microbiome of urban green spaces, playgrounds, urban schools and kindergartens?! Process, known as microbiome rewilding, with great benefits for children health and wellbeing. We need to raise citizen awareness about it!

Where will your project idea take place?

Sofia and region of Sofia, which include many small municipalities

What is the specific societal challenge faced by this region?

Pandemic time is great challenge for children development and wellbeing. Landscape ecologists like me are aware that loss of biodiversity is the greatest challenge for the cities. We need to go often with children in wild nature and that is the only way children to begin to love it. And having in mind Sofia region children grow mainly in cities we need biodiversity in city for children wellbeing. Exposure to biodiverse natural environments carries ecological benefits—green spaces with higher eco-system function give children better exposure to pick things up from soil, for example, there are microbial compounds in soil that reduce stress and anxiety.

Who are you doing it for?

The project need to reach formal and non-formal communities of parents, teachers, School and kindergarten directors, Active citizens, well developed and managed FB groups, devoted to early child development, children and education etc

How do you plan to get there?

Meetings in schools yards and kindergartens with children, parents and teachers.
Workshops with the most interested citizens, parents, city planners in order to communicate last scientific publications regarding rewildening of cities
Translation and disemination of minimum 3 scientific publications
Development od publication in magazine "Architecture"
Organised one day hiking tours for city planners and architects in city parks and playgrounds
Organised one day hiking tour for children and parents and city planners in summer and autumn season
Development of rewildening plan for one school in the region

What are the expected results?

To raise awareness, knowledge and citizen action how could we reach wellbeing of our children in urban environment through nature-based solutions and to start action for its development. Sofia region have all resources in order to reach that and just need to be properly organised. Children need to spent playing minimum 4 hours per day in open spaces with clean air, pure water and rich biodiversity in order to grow healthy citizens

How does your idea strengthen active citizenship at a local and community level?

Proper scientifically proved knowledge and citizen awareness, open citizen action in open recreational meeting space strengthen citizen participation and wellbeing . Just need to act and organise the process.

Our children deserve adequate attitude from our citizenship and we will do that

Why is this idea important to you?

Daniela Pandurska, Landscape ecologist,
Milena Stateva, Sociologist, Researcher
Tanya Andreeva, Doctor of medicine, Pediatrics
Antonina Kenova, Active citizen, developer of 2 FB groups, mother of three sons.
Everyone of the team know the community very well and have excellent experience dealing with many people on a daily basis on hot communities issues connected to children and their wellbeing in Sofia region

€ 32000,-

Total budget

€ 32000,-

Funding requested from Civic Europe

Major expenses

3000 eur translation
1500 eur public relation

2500 eur travel expenses
25000 personal costs

What do you need from the Civic Europe community?

Let me please honestly - do you understand well what we are talking about. Is our idea clear for you?! That will help us to strengthen how we communicate the idea. Thank you!

Team

DaniPandurska

Idea created on April 26, 2021

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