In autumn 2008, Burren Connect joined an international education project called the Northern Environmental Education Development (NEED) Project. This innovative project is working on raising awareness of our fantastic geological heritage – our rocks and landscape – and will use this enhanced awareness to find new ways of using our geological heritage as the basis for sustainable tourism. Scroll down to find out more!
Where is the NEED Project running?
The NEED Project is running in four countries in what is called the “Northern Periphery” of Europe. These countries are Finland, Iceland, Ireland, and Norway. Within each country, the project is running only in a specific “target area” that is recognised for the natural beauty of its landscape and for its high amenity value. The target areas in each country are as follows:
FINLAND: Saimaa-Pielinen Lake-system (Finnish Lakelands)
ICELAND: Vatnakökull National Park
IRELAND: The Burren region
NORWAY: Nordland National Park
From left to right: Vatnakökull National Park, the Finnish Lakelands, the Burren, and Nordland National Park.
For how long will the project run?
The project began in mid-2008 and will run for two and a half years, i.e. until the end of 2010.
What is the main aim of the NEED project?
The primary goal of the project is to promote geoscientific and wider environmental education and educational tourism in the target areas, and to increase skills and environmental awareness among local inhabitants. In doing so, the project aims to conserve natural environments and cultural heritage, and to create sustainable economic opportunities in remote rural areas.
How is the NEED Project funded?
The project is funded under the Northern Periphery Programme, which is part of the EU’s Interreg IIIB funding program. The Northern Periphery Programme aims to encourage and support transnational co-operation between the regions of Europe. It provides the opportunity for organisations from the programme area to work together on joint projects concerning common issues and problems.
How is the NEED project managed?
The project is managed by a network of “National” and “Regional” partners. In each country, the administration and co-ordination of the project is undertaken by a group or organisation known as the National Partner. The National Partners of the NEED Project are as follows:
FINLAND: University of Joensuu (Faculty of Education)
ICELAND: University of Iceland (Hornafjörður Research Center)
IRELAND: Clare County Council (Burren Connect)
NORWAY: Nordland National Park Centre
From left to right: logos of the University of Joensuu, the University of Iceland, Clare County Council, and Nordland National Park Centre.
The international co-ordination and administration of the project is being undertaken by the University of Joensuu in Finland, which is therefore known as the Lead Partner of the project.
Each National Partner has several associate, or “Regional”, partners, drawn from the following sectors: education and research, regional and local authorities, private SMEs, and educational tourism. These Regional Partners work with the National Partner in each country in the planning and production of outputs of the project.
Who are the Irish regional partners?
The Regional partners in Ireland are as follows:
The Geological Survey of Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher visitor centre
Shannon Development
National University of Ireland, Galway
The Burren Centre Kilfenora
Burrenbeo Trust
The Burren Outdoor Education Centre
Each regional partner provides in-kind contributions towards the project, e.g. time, expertise, and facilities.
Who will we be working with?
As part of the NEED Project, we are, or will be, developing educational material on the geology and landscape of the Burren for anybody who is interested. We will be working with visitors to the Burren region as well as people in the local community, particularly schoolchildren, teachers, tourism providers and SMEs, farmers, and other interested adults.
What kind of work will we be doing?
The work program is divided into five distinct packages, each comprising a series of actions or goals. These work packages are as follows:
Work Package (WP) 1: Management, communication, and co-ordination
WP 2: Geo-scientific content for educational tourism
WP 3: Novel educational methods and models
WP 4: Inspiring environments for education
WP 5: Raising awareness and skills of tourists and locals
Examples of the kinds of work that is included in these work packages are:
(1) developing targeted geo-education programs for schools, local adults, visitors, and private businesses;
(2) developing various digital tools (e.g. GIS and mobile technology) for educational purposes;
(3) designing and testing geoscience learning methods that can be implemented in learning environments such as schools and visitor centres;
(4) developing and enhancing learning environments, e.g. provision of workstations, microscopes, and other scientific and technological equipment; and
(5) assessing, via surveys, the effectiveness of these programs.
What work has been done?/What work is in progress?
We have produced a pair of reviews of the geology of the Burren region – one uses technical (geological) terminology, and the other is written using non-technical language.
We have also delivered interactive geology modules to primary school students in the Burren region as part of the Ecobeo schools education programme that is run by Burrenbeo Trust.
We have several strands of work completed in 2009:
(1) Training for staff at visitor centre’s.
(2) Training for farmers interested in setting up a business based upon farm-led walking tours. This group will be active this summer.
(3) Comparative analysis of educational geological material available in visitor- and educational centre’s, with material in the primary- and secondary school curricula. As a result of this we have developed educational modules that will be available later in the year for children and adults alike to use to learn more about Geology in the Burren, with particular emphasis on Elements of Geology, Landscape, Natural Hazards, Geological Materials in Society and Climate Change.
(4) Produced a novel learning tool on the geology and landscape of the Burren region using state-of-the-art 3D visualisation technology and Google Earth. This will be availbale to the public later this year on a website that we are currently developing.
We are also running a course in Feb/Marc 2010 entitles ‘Understanding the Burren’ which covers five evenings and one outdoor field trip. The course will provide an insight into the ancient history of the Burren, and its evolution through time until the most recent ice sheets retreated some 12000 years ago.
If you are a schoolteacher or resident in the Burren region, and are interested in this course, please contact Ronan Henessy. Alternativley call 065 7072295
For more information on the NEED Project, please see http://www.uef.fi/need.
