National Park and Biosphere Schools

In cooperation with the Berchtesgaden National Park, the partnership with schools in the district is to be strengthened. Thus, a project to establish long-term cooperation with 8 pilot schools was initiated. Both education for sustainable development and nature and wilderness education are to find their way into the schools at a high level of quality. The goal is – after successful evaluation – to award the first national park and biosphere schools in the second school term 2024.

Pilot schools

Eight schools have been participating in the partner school project since September 2021. In the first year of the project, the schools could contribute their own wishes and ideas for the successful implementation of the cooperation. Our aspiring national park and biosphere schools are committed to implement environmentally friendly and sustainable projects and to address the topics of the Berchtesgadener Land Biosphere Region and the Berchtesgaden National Park in lessons and during excursions.

The pilot schools at a glance

Did you know?

Everything that can still be used, repaired or repurposed is not trash! We can still use a lot of things. Students also came to this realization at the prospective National Park and Biosphere Elementary School in Ramsau. They dealt intensively with the issues of waste avoidance, waste separation and the hidden raw materials as part of an event organized by the Biosphere Administration Office.

Teacher training

This year’s training on the topic of “Project work on future issues” took place in November under the direction of Anke Schlehufer (Burg Schwaneck Nature Experience Center, Munich). Teachers from a wide range of school types have tested participatory methods for education for sustainable development (ESD) for use in everyday school life.

New biosphere hedge planted

Shortly after the autumn holidays, a 6th grade class from the Berchtesgaden middle school supported the planting campaign with the landscape conservation association Biosphere Region BGL e.V in Schönau am Königssee. The 29 students were enthusiastic and planted a hedge around 60 meters long.

Workshops on nature and sustainability

Right at the start of the school year, the Rottmayr High School in Laufen held its traditional “Protected Area Day” with a diverse program. For example, a class from the prospective “National Park and Biosphere School” visited the organic farm “Lecker” and dealt with the topic “What does my food have to do with climate protection?”

Network meeting

The second network meeting took place on April 20, 2023. In this context, the participating teachers from the prospective National Park and Biosphere Schools received a keynote speech with regional examples on the topic of “Forest renaturation in the Berchtesgadener Land Biosphere Region” and had the opportunity to share activities that have already been carried out, ongoing projects at their schools and initial successes.

Offer for National Park and Biosphere Schools in the pilot phase

Explore native habitats on excursions in the area surrounding the school and develop ways to a sustainable lifestyle in workshops: The Biosphere Administration Office offers a diverse range of nature and sustainability activities for all grades.

Project background

The launch of this new cooperation between Berchtesgaden National Park and the Berchtesgadener Land Biosphere Region to establish joint national park and biosphere schools took place in the fall of 2021. In the new network, an intensive and long-term cooperation between schools, the Berchtesgadener Land Biosphere Region and Berchtesgaden National Park is to be established.

Establishing joint 'National Park and Biosphere Schools'.

Both administrative offices have been established educational institutions for a long time offering special school programs that have received many awards. The possibility to be recognized as a “National Park School” or “Biosphere School” did not exist in the district of Berchtesgadener Land so far. In a school cooperation of the umbrella organization of the largest protected areas in Germany, the Nationalen Naturlandschaften e.V. (NNL), long-term cooperations with schools are established on the basis of defined criteria. These are already in place in numerous protected areas: There are “Biosphere Schools” in the Rhön, and “National Park Schools” in the Bavarian Forest. The new cooperation project involving both a national park and a biosphere region is unique in Germany and is funded by the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment. It makes use of the already existing competencies of both institutions.

Did you know?

As part of the cooperation, the schools pledge to implement sustainability measures in everyday school life and the school environment. One possible step is, for example, the creation of a biosphere flower meadow on the school grounds. The Freilassing secondary school has already created such a meadow with the support of the Biosphere Administration Office and contributes to more biodiversity.

Three-year pilot phase of the project

In the three-year pilot phase, the cooperation structure is to be developed and tested with selected schools in the Berchtesgadener Land district. During the first year of the project, a cooperation agreement was developed together with eight selected pilot schools of different types. In the following two school years, the focus is on actual implementation. A prerequisite for participation in the new pilot project is the consent of the entire school family. A teacher training course and a network meeting are organized annually for the participating schools. Both protected areas provide teaching materials and offer support for projects and special events, in addition to the free educational offers that can be booked by the schools. External partners, such as regional businesses and freelancers, will be involved in the project. But also future partner schools are taken into responsibility: The educational work must be holistic and cover all three dimensions of sustainability – ecology, economy and social issues. In addition to learning in the classroom, educational activities are to be carried out “outdoors” on a regular basis, and project work is to be intensified. Each partner school also agrees to regularly implement sustainable measures, i.e. planting of a flower meadow on the school grounds, conversion of the school lighting to LED or offering regional organic food in the school cafeteria. The fulfillment of the defined criteria is checked by an external advisory board during the evaluation. Towards the end of the project phase at the end of the school year 2024, the first “National Park and Biosphere Schools” will be certified.

External partners wanted!

Within the framework of the new cooperation of the Berchtesgadener Land Biosphere Region and the Berchtesgaden National Park with schools, regional environmental educators and ESD (education for sustainable development) actors are sought who would like to offer their own activities to the prospective “National Park and Biosphere Schools”, starting in the school years 2022/23 and 2023/24. The focus of the topics can be diverse within the fields of environmental education and education for sustainable development. The Biosphere Region Administration Office acts as a mediator of contacts by providing participating schools with a list of contact details and the range of topics on offer. Bookings, payment and appointment arrangements are made directly with the schools. The prerequisite for an entry in the list is relevant experience in the field of environmental education as well as in working with children and teenagers. The attendance of a free multiplier training is also obligatory. If you are interested, please contact us via email: partnerschulen.brv-bgl@npv-bgd.bayern.de.

Your contact person

Martina Dötterl

Education for sustainable development – National Park and Biosphere Schools

National Park and Biosphere Schools

Pilot schools

The pilot schools at a glance

Did you know?

Teacher training

New biosphere hedge planted

Workshops on nature and sustainability

Network meeting

Offer for National Park and Biosphere Schools in the pilot phase

Project background

Establishing joint 'National Park and Biosphere Schools'.

Did you know?

Three-year pilot phase of the project

External partners wanted!

Your contact person

Martina Dötterl

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Verwaltungsstelle der Biosphärenregion Berchtesgadener Land

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