Stories

Story No. 1:  Students catching rainwater

Pupils from the Trávník Primary School in Přerov found out that the school wasted unnecessary amount of drinking water to water the school garden. And so they went to the school garden and found that the rainwater could help them significantly reduce the drinking water consumption. If the rainwater was better utilized and the inappropriate drainage of school grounds was adjusted, it would be possible to achieve great savings. They therefore developed the "Rain Garden" project.

With the help of parents, they made landscaping, built a garden pond, installed rainfall tanks and planted suitable plants to help naturally absorb water into the soil. The green oasis now refreshes the gray environment of panel construction around the school.

"What are we proud of? We have invented and done everything ourselves," say the pupils at the Trávník Elementary School in Přerov.

 

Story No. 2: Dear pond, who dwells in you?

A few years ago, pupils of the Elementary School in Vsetín, Rokytnice, built two ponds in the school garden. They have thus gained a unique opportunity to regularly observe and research what is happening in the artificially created water reservoirs. Pupils planned their research as real scientists - they decided to test whether the artificially created ponds could act as a natural ecosystem. They set several hypotheses and prepared the conditions for their research. They planted bulrush and iris into both of the overshadowed ponds. One pond got regularly cleaned from the algae and other biological material while the other was kept without any human intervention. During two years, they continuously monitored the species diversity of animals, compared the amount of oxygen and nitrate, measured temperature, pH, water transparency, and verified the validity of their original assumptions - hypotheses. And what did they find out?

"If an artificially created pond is left without human intervention, its environment is more stable and behaves like a natural ecosystem. Thanks to vegetation, there are fewer temperature fluctuations, more oxygen and more species of animals. The amount of nitrate is influenced by the decaying material (mainly leaves), which is falling in the autumn and decomposing in the spring.”

 

Story No. 3: Children planted 243 new trees

Pupils from Raškovice learned a lot about the forest and its influence on the climate. In the framework of the International Year of Forests, they used their knowledge to prepare a project named "We Plant Trees".

"It sounds like a fairy tale, but the pupils have really invented and organized it all by themselves," explains enthusiastically the teacher, Dana Kuriplachová.

The initiators of the project were pupils of 6th and 8th grade who first learned from the experts what trees to plant and how to take care of them afterwards. In cooperation with the town representatives, three suitable sites were identified. And here, together with all their classmates, they planted 20 ornamental and 22 fruit trees and 221 seedlings of forest trees in one day. Moreover, they shared the knowledge acquired with others, so now all the children from Raškovice know how to plant trees, how to treat them, and how to protect them from damage made by animals so they grow up in large, beautiful trees.

"We wanted to plant trees and participate in a bit at least to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and to improve the environment," says the 8th grade pupil from the Raškovice Elementary School

 

Story No. 4: Responses from parents

"It's not just about completing tasks. What our children experience with the Go Outside project accompanies them for a long time. Just for illustration, we produced a fragrance from nature together, and the children were so excited that the next day they were sniffing each flower and leaf. Also, they sometimes get funny about their favorite trees. They cooked muddy healing potions in the garden. Then they put the medicine on a wheelbarrow and took a walk with it. They embrocated their favorite and other "sick trees." They even have an emotional relationship with their favorite trees, and they are sad about every single broken branch and bore in the bark. "

Bára Černá, children aged 6 and 3.5 yrs

 

"Your tips help us determine our destination and some content for our walks. For example, we go check if our favorite saucer is already brewing the leaves; the children are then more enthusiastic about the walk." Anonymous

"Thank you very much for this wonderful "thing"- I work in a local maternity center and Go Outside is exactly what I needed. Sometimes I am stuck with new ideas and in the simplicity I find the most beautiful experience. I really thank you and send it further among my other friends... "

Mirka Vránová