Informal education programme “Gamta mieste” (Nature in the City”)

“Gamta Mieste” (Nature in the City) is an informal education programme in Lithuania designed for schools, focusing on the food chain and including topics on soil health. The programme consists of 10 workshops centred around a school garden and conducted by invited lecturers and facilitators. Topics covered include plants, biodiversity, soil, and urban life, with one workshop specifically dedicated to soil. This workshop highlights soil life, soil health, its role in food production, its importance for biodiversity, and its impact on climate change. The programme primarily involves pupils but also engages teachers and parents, with the aim of fostering a community focused on sustainability. 

The programme is run by a Lithuanian NGO “Kultūros dirbtuvė” (Cultural Workshop) whose main activity is the initiation and facilitation of regenerative placemaking in urbanised settings. The programme is being piloted in 2024 with a secondary school in Kaunas, financed as a project by the Ministry of Environment. Post-testing, the plan is to offer the programme to schools on a commissioning basis, offering various levels of engagement, from complete programmes including the installation of a school garden, to individual consultations or lectures.