An educational project for supporting the implementation of the Water Framework

Directive (WFD)

idea: Simone Janasimplementation/organisation: NABU Wiesloch,

(nature conservancy org.) finance support: Wiesloch, department of

environment

Aims of project

to give knowledge to the demands of the WFD

to implement a knowledge base

to communicate this to the public

Landsat-survey, Rhine-Neckar-Area in the south of Heidelberg

rivers: Rhine, Neckarmountain region: Odenwald, woodedplane region: Kraichgau, Upper Rhine valley agriculture tectonical depression close colonisation

Orthofoto Frauenweiler Wiesen M 1:5000S.Janas

• steep and technical constructed riverbanks

• weirs, dams, subterraneous canalisations

• waste in the riverbed, perception as a sewage water cloaca

• not cognizable as natural habitat

Obstacle for development of settlement and traffic

Passability and other morphological demands were unknown

Basic mental settings with starting the project –

percepted situation in the urban districts

• Historical mining industry with silver ore washery

• Extreme heavy metall contamination of the stream sediments

• Straightening of the streams since the middle ages (and even older), drainage systems

• Use of water power (watermills)

• Danger of flooding

Historical use, existing customary laws, local behaviour patterns and the above-mentioned negative consequences influence the perception and behaviour

Historical Situation

source of sedimental load

Actual situation in the rural areas

agriculturally used floodplain

step erosion

sedimental load

Actual situation in the nature protecting areas

bank erosion riparian forest

Primulaelatior

Actual situation in the nature protecting areas

Iris pseudacorus

Actual situation in the nature protecting areas

Bombina variegataSalamandra salamandra

Aims of project

to give knowledge to the demands of the WFD

to implement a knowledge base

to communicate this to the public

target groups

• students

• parents and residents

• administration department

• political persons being in charge of

• transfer knowledge directly

• to arouse public interest

• willingness to work out solutions

• influence their interest and decisions

Contents of learning

•clean water

•habitat water •experiences with water

•water cycle (hydrology)

•flood protection

•stream morphology

• Education for sustainable development in cooperation with different schools and preschools

Methods - Learning

• To experience nature as a rich treasure chest

• To remove fear of Nature

Basic educational principles -

ecological• To experience the stream as a unic and formative part of the landscape

• To associate the experience of Nature with happiness

Basic educational principles-social competences

• To enjoy the adventure

• To research in groups

• To trust in the own work and activities

• To prepare children for complex knowledge understanding and the need for active participation

To enable wide-ranging experiences outside of the home and school environment

Basic educational principles -beeing part of the society/partizipation

target groups

influence their interest and decisions

students

parents and residents

transfer knowledge

to arouse public interest

administration department

willingness to work out solutions

political persons being in charge of

Methods - public relation work

• Immediant and current publications of the activities taking place in the local newspapers

• Publications in special journals

target groups

influence their interest and decisions

students

parents and residents

transfer knowledge

to arouse public interest

administration department

willingness to work out solutions

political persons being in charge of

Methods - public relation work

• Organisation of exhibitions of great importance

• High decorated awards

Sequence of action 2001: start of the project with

working out a help for teachers

2002: awarded with the „AGENDA 21-Förderpreis des Landes Baden-Würtemberg in 2002“

2004: exhibition with results of a several day´s duration lab completed with informations of the administration and fire departement

2006: preschool enlargement; renaming as „educational project – waters“; start of the curricullum „water“ with Sibylla-Merian-Schule, Wiesloch

since 2001 more than 1500 times children had contact to this project

In summertime almost weekly publications

Very slowly progress in the beginning

Difficulties and handling

Patronage of the administation department

Assumption of costs by the department of environment

Coming in conformity with requirements of the course of instructions (syllabus)

Arranging the organisational matters

Realize an effective operation

Mental modification

Impressions

Accumulated demand – students loking forward to the projekt

Themes about „water“ are interesting

Cognition of the importance of water-themes and management on the part of the administration departement

Work out a curriclum with a whole basic school

Periodical labs with the third class level

Waterthemes are sometimes in local newspaper

Statement in „Nachhaltigkeitsbericht der Stadt Wiesloch“

Demands of the WFD - structural shift

Impressions - changes?

Cleaning of the boundary; sometimes with bad letters to the editor because of waste in the stream

a fish-die-off was discussed in the papers

Administration gained access to the the stream very close to the inner city

Plans about urban renaturalisation and floodprotection are in work

• waste in the riverbed, perception as a sewage water cloaca

• not cognizable as natural habitat

• steep and technical constructed riverbanks

Demands of the WFD - structural shift

Impressions - changes?

There are plans to destroy weirs of mills

There are plans to construct heeps of dams in the floodplain (flood protection management) - Conflict between renaturalisation and technical flood protection management

One was opened with a great succes;

A big one causes massive technical flood protection

• weirs

• dams

• subterraneous canalisations

Position & Limits

For some reasons (financial matter & social peace) it is not part of the public agenda to give detailed knowledge to the demands of the WFD

The project implement a knowledge base to students, teachers and their parentsArouse public interest to stream connected themes due to the newspapers support

To coact and work out solutions with the administration departement (partizipation) depends on the intention of the administration and (different) interests.

Influence the interest and decisions of political persons being in charge is not evaluable.

Tasks

For some reasons (financial matter & social peace) it is not part of the public agenda to give detailed knowledge to the demands of the WFD

Bottom up

To coact and work out solutions with the administration departement depends on the aims and (different) interests.

Influence interest and decisions of political persons being in charge is not evaluable.