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Short Abstract

The project ‘Space for Life’ engages young people age 14-18 to create and monitor green, urban areas targeting native species. We share results and experiences from collaborating with the young participants and the pedagogical staff in youth clubs.

Abstract

With the project ‘Space for Life’, the Natural History Museum Denmark (NHMD) together with a number of established youth clubs, creates a leisure offer for young people with a focus on understanding nature, biodiversity and climate crises. Together with the young participants the project creates new - or improve existing - green areas where young people spend their free time. In these urban biodiversity makerspaces habitats are enhanced to accommodate as many native species as possible. Changes in biodiversity over time are monitored together with the young participants using traditional and modern approaches such as molecular methods and image recognition.

Participants experience making a difference to their local environment, and improve their understanding of how to make space for more wild species, strengthening their connection to local biodiversity and ultimately to nature as such.

The effort is initiated, established and monitored by experts from the Danish Natural History Museum based on the young people's interest, commitment and motivation.

During the presentation we will share results and insights from the project, specifically highlighting our experience with reaching 14-18 year olds in their spare time. Building up relations with participants and pedagogical staff has been one of many key learnings from this journey.