A TRANSNATIONAL PROJECT LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE OUTDOOR EDUCATION ACROSS EUROPE

The SEE Project will develop a framework of good practice which will ensure that sustainability and environmental education will be ingrained in the ethos of outdoor sport education.

A new Erasmus project has been awarded by the European Commission to tackle the un-coordinated approach to the teaching and communication of environmental ethics in the spheres of outdoor sport and recreation. The increasing appreciation for the benefits associated with outdoor recreation and sport has been highlighted in a previously funded Erasmus+ project on the "Benefits of Outdoor Sports for Society". This SEE project is an extensive collaboration with partners from across Europe, including.

• Leave No Trace Ireland (LNTI)

• Technical University Munich (TUM)

• Sport Northern Ireland (SNI)

• National Resource Centre for Expertise and Sport Performance / Centre de Ressources d’expertise et de performance sportives de Rhone-Alpes) (CREPS)

• The National Institute for Physical Education in Catalonia (INEFC – Institut Nacional d’Educació Física de Catalunya)

• International Mountain Biking Association Europe (IMBA)

• Mountaineering Association Tara (MAT - Planinarski Klub Tara)

• Surf Clube de Viana (SCV)

• Folkungaland (FL)

• EUROPARC Federation (EF)

The SEE Project will promote education in and through sport with special focus on skills development for outdoor sports professionals such as outdoor sports trainers, guides, or instructors. The SEE Project will also help to promote increased voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity all in a frame of sustainable development and in line with the new Green Deal for Europe.

Maura Kiely, CEO of Leave No Trace Ireland, states that this initiative is poignant and timely, "Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns have shown the world that access to outdoor sport and recreation are essential to our mental and physical well-being. We need to have a coordinated approach to outdoor education across Europe to protect the environment for future generations." Dr Noel Doyle, who will be the project manager, expressed his excitement for the project. "Very rarely do you get the opportunity for this level of collaboration across a variety of countries. The wealth of knowledge and experience presented by the partners will make for an engaging project with significant outputs".

The SEE project aims to provide sound pedagogical methodologies that will increase the competences in sustainability and environmental education of multipliers in the field of outdoor sport and ensure that the impacts of such activities are minimised and mitigated. The project adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to the development and application of the pedagogical processes, which is critical to ensure that it is both robust yet deliverable in a practical manner for grassroots outdoor sports. T

The SEE project will begin on the 1st of January and will run for three years. Ultimately this project is about the citizens of Europe enjoying a better, healthier, and happier lifestyle. Ensuring that outdoor sports are managed sustainably and responsibly in natural and protected areas will enable greater confidence to allow increased participation so that more people can enjoy the recognised benefits of Health Enhancing Physical Activity in the outdoors.