Pupils experiment: FMNR in comparison to conventional renaturation methods in the Kassel area (Hupfeld elementary school, Albert-Schweitzer-Schule Kassel, Waldschule, Amt für Schule und Bildung Stadt Kassel, Umwelt- und Gartenamt)

What new opportunities can we create so that pupils can learn about the importance of the forest and natural cycles? A sub-project in which the Albert Schweitzer School Kassel, the Hupfeld elementary school, the forest school, the city of Kassel and the project team at the Center for Teacher Education are cooperating is dedicated to this question. A space for experimentation has been created in the Eichenhutewald forest on the Dönche. Here, the children and young people have the opportunity to get hands-on and compare the renaturation method used in northern Hesse with the international FMNR method.

The project began with an excursion to the forest school, where city children, who often know little about the forest, had the opportunity to experience the forest with all their senses. Back at school, they deepened their knowledge of the interrelationships in nature. The impact of climate change was also discussed. The pupils also learned about different types of forest, including the Hutewald forest, which was explained using photos and pictures. The children and young people then had the opportunity to explore the FMNR method using film material and age-appropriate texts.

On March 21, 2024, the Day of the Forest, all cooperation partners came together in the Eichehutewald. Here, the pupils fenced in four plots together with their teachers and employees of the horticultural office of the city of Kassel. On two plots, the pupils are trying out the classic Central European renaturation method for forests, and on the other two the FMNR method. This experiment will be permanently monitored and documented by the schools.

The trial plots can be visited here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q7E3zHTRPnN2ELhm9