The achievement of the targets set in European policies for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity requires increased efforts for proper integration and consideration into sectoral policies, for only thus be understood and strengthened the positive links between conservation of natural heritage and economic and social development. This demand is particularly required in the tourism sector, one of the most important in terms of its economic impact at European level.Biodiversity is increasingly being one of the motivating factors for travel, as the variety of natural landscapes and well-preserved ecosystem acts as a basic appeal of tourist destinations. These destinations have been reinforced with the creation of the Natura 2000 network (SCI and SPAs).OBJECTIVE: To recognize and validate two new Competition Units at European level that respond to the demand for product creation and promotion of ornithological tourism in relation to biodiversity:1. Interpret the natural heritage associated to avifauna to visitors of the Natura 2000 network.2. Provide escort services to tourists and visitors and design ornithological itineraries.TARGET GROUPS: It is estimated a total of 16.000 direct and indirect beneficiaries involved in the implementation of project activities and its dissemination and transfer:• Ornithologists and ornithology enthusiasts.• Experts in nature tourism.• SPAs and environmental managers (Natural Parks, Biosphere Reserves, SCI and SPA's, nature reserves ...)• Guides and interpreters of nature.• SPAs of Biosphere Reserves and the Natura 2000 network.• Entrepreneurs of rural tourism.• Agents of local development.• Leisure, active and nature tourism companies.• Centers and Entities on education and training (formal and informal).• Qualified college staff (biologists, environmentalists ...).• Rural women with no qualifications looking for their first job.• Young people entering unemployment.• Adults at restructuring and long-term unemployed.• Part-time rural workers.ACTIONS:1) Intellectual Outputs • Training modules • European Guide to Good Ornithological Practice • Manual and tutorial. • Pilot course for the testing of skills. • Computerized database • OER multimedia materials.2) Multiplier events: • 5 Dissemination Seminars. 3) Joint training event for staff: 15 participants4) Others: • Transnational Meetings. • Partnerships with stakeholders. • Job Agency. • Online Content. • Social networks. • Results Dissemination Plan.METHODOLOGY:A) Designing a basic non-formal training plan to stimulate entrepreneurship, competitiveness and employment through the development and acquisition of skills and competencies related to the real needs of the Natura 2000 network.B) Integration of an innovative approach to teaching and learning in the field of ornithological tourism, through an integrated use of ICT and the OER.C) Favouring equal opportunities and employability in the area of influence of SPAs.D) Start of the RVA curriculum process in the System of Qualifications and Vocational Training in each country, integrated into CEDEFOP, meeting the requirements of MEC and the principles of quality assurance EQAVET.E) Establishment of a Dissemination Plan to provide information on the project results to key stakeholders.RESULTS:• Result 1: Training modules: 15• Result 2: European Guide to Good Ornithological Practice : 600 beneficiaries.• Result 3: Pilot course. Impact: 120 students.• Result 4: OER methodological guide. Impact: 500 beneficiaries. • Result 5: Project web page. Impact: 3600 users and downloads.• Result 6: Database. Impact: 50 enterprises.• Result 7: Dissemination seminars. Impact: 10 seminars (250 participants)• Result 8: Transnational meetings. Impact: 4 meetings with 10 participants in each one.• Result 9: 2 Multiplier Events.• Result 10: Staff training course for 15 beneficiaries.• Result 11: 25 stakeholders.LONG-TERM BENEFITS:The beneficiary organizations of the project and the main beneficiaries will benefit from the direct contribution of this project to the objectives of the laws and national and European regulations on tourism and natural heritage:• The inclusion of key competencies on ornithological tourism, tested and validated in terms of qualification (MEC) and job creation.• Increased awareness of European policies on biodiversity and sustainable tourism, facilitating the exchange of experiences between different sectors at local, national and international level, and contributing to labor mobility of educational authorities as workers in the nature tourism sector.

REST COAST will demonstrate to what extent upscaled coastal restoration can provide a low-carbon adaptation, reducing risks and providing gains in biodiversity for vulnerable coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands or sea grass beds. By overcoming present technical, economic, governance and social barriers to restoration upscaling, REST COAST will develop the large-scale river-coast connectivity and increase the nearshore accommodation space for the resilient delivery of coastal ecosystem services (ESS). The selected ESS (risk reduction, environmental quality and fish provisioning) touch urgent coastal problems such as the erosion/flooding during recent storms or the accelerating coastal habitat degradation that seriously affects fisheries and aquaculture. By enhancing these ESS under present and future climates at 9 Pilots that represent the main EU regional seas (Baltic, Black, North, Atlantic and Mediterranean) we shall increase the commitment of citizens, stakeholders and policy makers for a long-term maintenance of restoration. Such commitment will go together with a transformation of governance and financial structures, supported by evidence-based results on restoration benefits for the welfare of coastal societies and assets. This transformation will build upon the results from hands-on restoration at the Pilots, steered by the multidisciplinary project advances. Combining new techniques, risk assessments, innovative financial/governance arrangements and homogeneous metrics for ESS and biodiversity, REST-COAST will develop a systemic approach to coastal restoration based on a scalable coastal adaptation plan. The plan will underpin a transformative change in governance and policies, proving the importance of the coastal dimension in the EU Green Deal for adaptation/mitigation under climate change. The proposed adaptation will facilitate replicating large scale restoration and introducing coastal ESS into national and international policies.

The main goal of the project was to enhance the quality of early years environmental education in order to develop children’s interest in and connection to nature and to achieve high quality learning outcomes that support basic core curriculum and lifelong learning skills. Teaching about nature is an excellent opportunity to develop a set of children's skills and competences important for achieving better effects of learning in different fields of education and then for the wellbeing of individuals and more sustainable future of communities. And yet nature education is often under appreciated and its potential ignored in national curricula at primary and early year levels. Many educators suffer from a lack of dedicated materials and examples of engaging activities for such children. This project was based on experiences of the already operating international educational project Spring Alive that also involves the 6 BirdLife Partners (ornithological ngos) engaged in this project. The transnational dimension of the project is very important, bringing the best examples of how nature based education can deliver profound and lasting learning outcomes to countries and regions where the potential has not been realized. The international cooperation also provides a basis for future international networking. The practical knowledge and competence of pre-school and primary school teachers was enhanced by providing them with training and resources. Resources are also available to educators running informal education through making the supporting materials widely accessible. The training provided an opportunity for exchanging teachers' experiences from their work at a transnational level. Academic educationalists and trainers were engaged to ensure the highest quality of the created resources.The project was addressed to teachers from rural areas and small towns to develop theirs skills and to enable them to access the most current knowledge, teaching practices and resources. 60 teachers from preschools and primary schools participated in the training. Over 342 teachers took part in national training events. At least 2360 teachers from primary schools and pre-schools as well informal educators from European countries will download the materials after the delivery of the demonstration lessons and free access to the uploaded resources online this and upcoming year. Main activities undertaken during the project's duration:The activities of 1st half of the project timeline were focussed on: research on the most important obstacles and challenges in area of environmental education in primary and pre-school education; determining the innovative teaching methods and content of resources to overcome these obstacles; developing a set of engaging and effective teaching materials (O2, O3). During the 2nd half of the project, activities were focused on: continuing and finalizing the work on the teaching resources; adapting them to the partners national requirements (=language / curricula); organizing international workshop for teachers; disseminating the materials during multiplier events together with, mostly online, promotion. Teaching materials (O2, O3, O4), including the mobile application helping children to learn issues related to nature in an interactive way, were ready to use and presented at the workshop for teachers in July 2018 Ireland/Maynooth University. As a result of the project we delivered the following intellectual outputs: materials for pre- and primary schools, mobile app and a video tutorial. The project provided teachers of preschools and primary schools across six countries with innovative, relevant teaching resources. Moreover supported and trained them to deliver an effective nature themed programme of learning.The project also grealty improved the communication and cooperation of the project partners from Poland, Spain, Ireland, Slovakia, Czechia and Macedonia as well as their interaction with the educational systems in their countries. All the intellectual project outputs are available for teachers and educators not only on the partners' website but also on the Spring Alive national websites. They will continue to be used by teachers from countries where Spring Alive operates as each year they will be encouraged to use them. They will also continue to be available on the BL Partnership extranet for use of the BL Partners and teachers they work with. Project partners continue to maintain contact with interested teachers to further develop their teaching curricula. The results and impact are greater than expected. We have successfully shared the information through all our channels. The greatest impact are groups of teachers who have became advocates for our materials. A long-term benefit was achieved by creating a network of teachers at European level and at national level. Thus the project effects will be multiplied during next years after the lifetime of the project long term results.

"The project "" Plants And Nature Conveying Augmented Knowledge for Everyone"" (PANCAKE) has as main objectives to improve the inclusion of the Deaf community in accessing nature, augment knowledge about the flora, design inclusive public spaces, through 5 innovative actions.In O1 PANCAKE will contribute to innovate five national sign languages, creating (for the first time) the ""sign"" for plants, flowers and trees more common in the four countries of the consortium. This will produce an inclusive taxonomy of completely new signs that will help interpreters, teachers and botanist in including the Deaf in their ordinary activities, but also will benefit the Deaf to access nature and share knowledge. ENS (IT), SordaPicena (IT), and AVSiE (ES)coordinated by FoEM that has close ties with the Deaf People Association of Malta will be the crucial partners for this output The O2 will complete the taxonomy with videos to learn the new “signs” (which could differ from sign language to sign language) with subtitle in English and in each National language, so the Deaf and the Interpreters can easily learn the new ""words"" and teachers, Info Centres and content writers can use them. AVSiE, with a dedicated shooting stage and experience in this field, will lead this output together with FoEM, which will produce the English and Maltese version of them collaborating with DPAMIn O3, PANCAKE will address inclusion and accessibility in architectural design for info centres, public buildings and places. A manual collecting best architectural practices will help architects and professionals of the building sector to achieve a wider audience and build inclusivity directly from the design of spaces. The guidelines will be applied in two real plans for conversion/construction created by SordaPicena which has got a specialised Deaf Architect and SensoryTrust which is a leader in the UK on accessibility design. The advantage of having two specialised partners from different countries will give to the handbook a more exhaustive perspective.The O4 will complete the innovative tools produced by PANCAKE with educational videos, ready to be used to augment the accessibility to nature for Deaf people. A selection of the more iconic plants identified in the taxonomy of O1, will be chosen and will be described in short sign language documentaries. FoEM and SEO botanists will prepare the script for the short footages, integrated by subtitles in different languages and produced for each one of the five sign languages of the participating countries, ready to be used and broadcasted in Nature Reserves, Botanic garden, conferences, info centres all around Europe. ENS, will be crucial in leading the production of professional videos as it has extensive experience in the field.The O5 will address, involving a major player in interactive content sharing (Octavo), the adaptation of printed material into online, interactive content. The best practices handbook produced will be applied to real examples and all publications and material produced by PANCAKE will be uploaded and available online, for a life span longer than the project length. The new learning and disseminating material of PANCAKE will be translated in multimedia content, optimised across different devices (laptop, tablet, mobiles) and downloadable offline.In order to achieve the innovative outputs of the project, it is very important to have a partnership with experience in technical matters, in botany, natural environment as well as the associations of Deaf. It is also necessary to work at an international level, to exchange experiences and good practices about the different needs of Deaf people in accessing the natural environment. This combination of factors, all of them present in PANCAKE, will notably improve the results of the project.Transnational work is very important not only to exchange visions, methodologies and experiences but also to strengthen the promotion of the project and the use of outputs in other European countries. In PANCAKE, there are representatives of the Deaf national and regional associations (members of the World Deaf Association), members of Friends of the Earth and BirdLife (two of the big10 E-organisations in the World), these will benefit the dissemination of the project and especially its results in other European countries beyond the strategic partnership created for it.In Europe, there are, estimated, 70 million citizens with some form of hearing impairment, but specific materials for the identification of plant species is lacking or not existing in sign language. Language is the most important instrument for communicating and transmitting ideas and feelings and Sign Languages in the resolution of the European Parliament (06/17/1988) have been recognized as languages used by Deaf people and, therefore, their right to use it. This resolution encourages European countries to promote the use of Sign Languages."

"In Europe, agriculture and the agri-food industry account for 6% of EU GDP, 15 million companies and 46 million jobs. More than 77% of the territory of the EU is considered a rural area: 47% of agricultural land and 30% of forest land. In them resides approximately half of the population, who is dedicated to agriculture and other activities. On the other hand, the Biodiversity loss is one of the main environmental problems in the planet.The current health (Covid19) and environmental crises highlight the urgency of adopting measures to curb the loss of Biodiversity, mitigate climate change and promote food security. At the same time, improving the training of professional adults in the primary sector to ensure their full development in the current situation and possible future situations, promoting preventive work in the socio-educational action of adults to improve their well-being in the rural world.The EU, within the International Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted an ambitious strategy with 6 objectives and 20 actions to stop the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. The mid-term review of the strategy evaluates progress in many areas, but highlights the failure in two: Objective 3: ""Increase the contribution of agriculture to the maintenance and improvement of biodiversity"" - there is no significant progress towards the goal; and for objective 4: ""Ensure the sustainable use of fishery resources and achieve good environmental status"" - there is progress but at an insufficient level.NAT-Helpers is a project of strategic associations for adult education focused on the Mediterranean area (including Greece, France, Italy, Malta and Spain). It is an innovative project that focuses its work on non-formal training of farmers and fishermen to contribute to achieving objectives 3 and 4 of the European Strategy for Biodiversity 2020, and improve training to achive objectives of european Agriculture and Fishery policies.NAT-Helpers has an innovative approach, whose main objective is to train the primary sector towards sustainable practices that allow them to achieve quality products and high marketvalue. That is to show how biodiversity and ecosystem services helps in primary production (agricultura, livestock and fisheries), turning the message of what to do to preservebiodiversity (regardless of its benefits).Our combination of partners ensure our approach is sustainable and realistic for the current traininig adult non formal educational systems.NAt-Helpers will be sharing resources through the partners existing networks. Including, localadministrations and sector trainers entities., and also the BirdLife International network whichconsists of 120 partners globally with 27/28 European partners.NAT-Helpers aims to engage the following audiences throughout and after the projects end:1. End-users of the project activities and deliverables (Primary sector Stakeholders) and teachers.2. Experts or practitioners in environmental education.3. Organisations’ networks.4. Farmers and fishermen.4. General public.The results expected on the individual participants and target groups due to the innovative outputs of the project are as follows: Firstly the impact on the participating organizations which will happen throughout the duration of the project. Participating organisations will enhance their knowledge, competences and skills regarding management and implementation of European projects and in the field of teaching. Secondly the project activities should have the following results on professionals and trainers attendees: - Strengthening professional development, profile and opportunities for participating attendees; - Increased motivation and rewarding educational experiences with their students."