The European Climate Education Coalition, backed by the European Commission, has awarded Santander's school yard naturalisation project as one of the three winners from more than 150 entries submitted by various European countries.
This initiative, developed by the City Council of Santander in collaboration with SEO/BirdLife, has transformed the school yards of seven educational centres in the city. The project aims to enhance climate resilience, promote biodiversity, and facilitate outdoor learning.
Margarita Rojo, the city’s councillor for the environment, announced this European recognition for a project that originated from an ideas competition involving 16 schools in Santander, which incorporated suggestions from the educational communities themselves.
The main objectives of the initiative, part of the Santander Capital Natural project, include increasing shaded areas, expanding permeable ground surfaces, and enhancing biodiversity through nature-based solutions. Specifically, the project has achieved a 14% increase in the permeable surface area of the school yards, introducing features such as ponds for amphibians, noise-reducing vegetation barriers, and habitats for insects, birds, and reptiles.
Each year, around 2,500 students from the seven participating schools benefit from these newly naturalised spaces, which can also serve as outdoor classrooms for activities related to nature awareness and environmental education.
The European Climate Education Coalition brings together experiences and initiatives focused on climate education within formal schooling, with particular emphasis on creativity, participation, and climate action from educational communities. Alongside Santander's initiative, projects from Turkey and Poland were also awarded in the categories of youth leadership and intergenerational equity, focusing on climate action in schools and the protection of freshwater resources, respectively.
