Teachers are one of the fundamental targets of I-SWAMP.
Precisely for this reason, on May 25th, in Tichoja (Sittersdorf, Austria), at the headquarters of the Geopark Karawanke, a meeting was held to illustrate the important topic of invasive species and the link they have with Alpine wetlands. The public was composed of more than 30 Preschool, Primary School and Middle school teachers from both Austria and Slovenia. The talks were held mostly in German, with a simultaneous translation into Slovenian, with one talk in English.
The event, mostly organized by the Geopark Karawanke and IRSNC, saw a presentation of I-SWAMP by Giulio Menegus (TESAF) and a lecture by Susanne (E.C.O.) about the most common invasive plants in the area, with a focus on those present in wetlands. There was no shortage of practical activities, as well as theory.
Two workshops were organised by the Geopark and IRSNC. The first was a cooking workshop with the invasive plants Reynoutria japonica (Japanese knotweed) and Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust): the teachers were asked to experiment and cook firsthand. They cooked desserts, crêpes and compôtes. A more playful part followed: it was dedicated to games aimed at teaching how to distinguish invasive plants from native ones and to teach kindergarten children the concept of invasive plants.
At the end of the event all the participants went to the nearby Sonneger Moor, where the participants removed the invasive plants of the genus Solidago (goldenrod).
