In 2017, in Vancouver, the WEEC network launched the first World Environmental Education Day. On 14 October we celebrate the tenth edition: every year, this day reminds us that living on the planet with awareness requires environmental education.
The date is not a coincidence: on 14 October 1977, the Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education, organised by UNEP and UNESCO, opened in Tbilisi. It marked the beginning of an environmental education able to cross the borders between nations, and also between disciplines. In 2017, forty years later, during the ninth World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC), the network chose that very date to dedicate a day to it.
Why do we still need it?
Doing environmental education means becoming aware of the environmental crisis and its consequences, and getting to know nature and its biodiversity. Above all, it means developing a conscience and a sense of responsibility for the human impact on the Earth. It is through hands-on activities that a collective awareness takes shape and theory becomes practice: workshops, class projects, field trips.
This day, then, is meant as a reminder of our daily commitment to educating others (and ourselves) about the environment and sustainability. It is a chance to stop and reflect on how we see the world and how we live in it.
A world in action: events for World Environmental Education Day
This year, once again, the WEEC network is collecting and sharing the projects created for the occasion by schools and universities, park authorities and local organisations. They range from biodiversity protection to waste management, and from digital sustainability to specialised training courses on environmental topics.
Among the projects focused on the circular economy, École Verte in Cameroon encourages students to choose sustainable packaging and more responsible habits. In Uganda, St Kizito High School Namugongo teaches students how to manage and reuse waste by producing biogas and biofertilisers.
Another key part of environmental education is the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. In Chile, for example, the ecological restoration of the Río Maipo wetland is under way. In Italy, nature walks lead participants to discover the Fossano fossil forest and the local geological heritage.
Alongside these local initiatives, there is room for innovative projects such as The Digital Collage, a French-Italian workshop that invites participants to rethink their digital ecological footprint. M.O.R.E. Than Words takes a different approach. It is an Erasmus+ project between Italy and Slovakia that draws on linguistic and cultural heritage to encourage intercultural dialogue and environmental awareness among European students.
It’s worth mentioning the Journées de l’éducation relative à l’environnement, an initiative organised in Montreal by the Centr’ERE at the Université du Québec à Montréal to celebrate the day. The programme (available here), running from 14 October to 5 November, includes round tables on care and ecoformation, an ecopoetic walk through the Botanical Garden and a Brazil-Canada dialogue on social and environmental justice.
Together, these events form an international mosaic of experiences that turns environmental education into an everyday, shared practice.
Tell us how you celebrate the day!
If you want to take an active part in this important change, we invite you to join us in celebrating World Environmental Education Day. Fill the form HERE
