KulturNest e.V. is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation that nurtures creativity, sustainability, and playfulness. Our friendly NEST welcomes you to share new ideas, actions, and connections, inspired by the values of art and nature.
Erasmus Plus Project
Urban Nature
Nature
Community
Education
Discover how to develop an Urban Nature practice for nature connection in the heart of any city.
An invitation for you
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Discover how to train youth workers to guide young people in Nature Connection practices.
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Download audio guides, methodologies and geocaching sites for use with your own groups.
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Go deeper and read the research carried out.
What is at the heart of Urban Nature
We recall with a smile the first day we met the six young adults who, over the course of the next six months, were to become our U.N.A.s - our Urban Nature Advocates.
We discovered their existing nature connection practices varied from those who regularly spent time outdoors and were involved in eco-activism, through to people who rarely took the time to appreciate their natural surroundings. This diverse range would create a fun training experience! It was also great to know that at the very same time our partners in Hungary were beginning to train six U.N.A.s in Budapest.
Gently, our ANFT (Association for Nature and Forest Therapy) trained facilitator opened up the door to nature connection through a series of guided walks over a period of three weeks. Step-by-step these young people learnt how to invite people into connection with Nature through very simple games and invitations engaging the head (reason) hands (senses) and heart (storytelling and imagination). Encouraged to develop their own ‘sit-spot’ practice, it was wonderful to watch how their own relationship with Nature shifted during this time. By week four it was time for our U.N.A.s to practice their newly found skills and guide us. It was wonderful to experience their own invitations inspired by Nature. A mentoring programme helped put the finishing touches to the methods developed and then they were ready to invite their own groups of young people to urban green spaces across Berlin. They rose to the various challenges that always come when working with diverse groups and we shared our experiences together, keeping connected via a chat group and online meetings. Alongside all of this work in the field, to better understand current practice, we gathered information about organisations already working with Urban Nature in three global regions. This desk research was complemented by local and international, cross-sectoral focus groups where we gathered experts and young people in the same conversations to discover what supports them to be in nature and what are the obstacles. This research honed the design of the resources we’ve made, which are simple and easy to use. Ten method sheets act as inspirational springboards. Audio guides, developed for three parks in Berlin, help your groups connect to parks through stories downloadable by QR code. Also, the U.N.A.s have set up three Geocaching locations via the official Geocaching hub. This project has been a beautiful opportunity to open up our understanding of how to be in nature, how to work with young people in nature and how to gently shift our society through these connections. We hope that these resources will support your own activities with young people outdoors.
Highlights
Zooming In On The Details
We all came to deeply appreciate the wonders that can be found when you take the time to slow down and zoom in on nature’s beauty. Use the naked eye alone, or enjoy the gasps of surprise from your group when you zoom in with magnifying lenses to see what we often walk right past.
Shout out to our U.N.A.s
This project would not have been possible without the energy and enthusiasm of the youth workers who were willing to step into the great outdoors, share their wisdom and develop their skills. U.N.A.s, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
International Wisdom
Gathering experts and young people together for the focus groups was a deeply enriching experience, showing how cutting-edge this work is. There is a noticeable gap in perspectives between the different generations and the educational system. It's a recommendation to change old-fashioned behaviours and turn towards new.
Resources
Templates
PDF · English · 2 MB to be updated
Methodology for guided nature walks
Download the methodology (PDF, 2 MB) or link to subpage
Urban Nature Audio Walks
3 parks · 3 audiowalks
Three audio guides to discover different parks in Berlin
Rooted in the city
PDF · English · 2 MB to be updated
Research focus groups and desk research into existing best practices
Download the research (PDF, 2 MB)
Geocaching
3 parks · 3 catches
Discover three different treasures and join the Geocaching community
Funding and partners
Project details
Erasmus+ KA210-YOUTH
2025-1-HU01-KA210-YOU-000359989
01/12/2025 - 31/12/2026
Licence
Creative Commons Link
Consortium
Lead organisation
Messzelátó Egyesület, (Hungary)
Link to external page of organisation
Partner
KulturNest E.V. (Germany)
Disclaimer
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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