Funding: Volunteer project
Duration: September 2017 - December 2019
Partners: Departamento de Biologia da Universidade de Aveiro, Município da Figueira da Foz
The Project
Associação BioLiving and the Biology Department of the University of Aveiro, in collaboration with the municipality of Figueira da Foz, developed a project aimed at involving and engaging young people and the community in general in environmental issues surrounding our forests - the RENASCER ("REBORN") Project.
The mission of this project was to convey the value and importance of preserving and defending our forest, to promote contact with nature, to encourage ecological responsibility in everyone by changing attitudes and behaviour towards the environment.
Sadly, our country is plagued by forest fires almost every year, due to a combination of environmental and social factors. The year 2017 was probably one of the worst in Portugal's memory, with the fires not only destroying a large part of our forest, but also affecting the lives of dozens of families. These events were (yet another) wake-up call and reinforced, in the worst way, the need to rethink the management of Portugal's forests and the preservation of our natural heritage.
With the Renascer project, environmental education activities were carried out with teachers from various schools in the Figueira da Foz municipality, so that they could pass on the knowledge they had acquired to their pupils. Subsequently, more than 1,000 trees and acorns were distributed to around 1,500 students from the 30 schools involved in the project (from pre-school to secondary school) for them to plant in the autumn/winter of 2018.
Available outputs
On the project's website you will find various products and resources that you can consult and download for free:
- Diagnostic report analysing public perception of the work and importance of NGOs and other civic groups in the environmental and social fields in the project's five partner countries.
- Introductory handbook to mentoring trainees in NGOs to help association leaders with little experience in hosting trainees and/or volunteers.
- Training Course on Green and Social Entrepreneurship and Associative Leadership.
- Handbook about founding and funding NGOs for those who want to know about the first steps to take before setting up an NGO, the founding process, management tips and examples of funding.
- Policy paper that summarises the main results of the project, highlighting and discussing why it is important to change and evolve the policy associated with the third sector at both national and European level.
renascer in numbers
Throughout the project, RENASCER directly involved hundreds of people in a wide variety of activities and events:
Testimonials
STRATOS CHATZIGIANNAKIS
"O curso foi esclarecedor em todos os aspectos. A interacção com empreendedores sociais de toda a Europa, bem como as ferramentas e técnicas aprendidas, terão definitivamente impacto nas nossas acções futuras".
MONA FISCHER
‘NGEurope is an excellent way to learn about social entrepreneurship and to start thinking in innovative ways, as well as being more active. In addition, I have met many very inspiring people and gained a sense of connection and solidarity with other European citizens.’
GONÇALO ABREU
"O projecto NGeurope foi uma excelente oportunidade para o meu crescimento pessoal. Não esperava que este curso de formação me desafiasse a deixar a minha zona de conforto e me desse a conhecer tantas realidades diferentes sobre os temas da liderança e do ambiente. Graças a esta experiência aprendi sobre a importância do terceiro sector do desenvolvimento de soluções mais sustentáveis para problemas comunitários a nível local. Além disso, tive a oportunidade de conhecer muitas ONGs, não só no meu país mas também no estrangeiro. Através do programa de imersão do projecto, trabalhei num campo de voluntariado internacional e conheci ainda mais pessoas de diferentes partes do mundo. Esta experiência permitiu-me trabalhar as minhas competências linguísticas, mas sobretudo as minhas capacidades de liderança que aprendi no curso de formação. Obrigado NGeurope pela experiência incrível!"
