Hydroponic garden (Mexico) [2026]

Country: Mexico

Site: Los Cabos Municipality

Target: Students and schools, Teachers and educators, Local communities and residents

Short Description

This project created gardens as living learning classrooms. It includes different sustainable production systems such as soil gardens, hydroponic cultivation, and aquaponic systems, allowing students to understand different forms of food production. In the aquaponic system, students learn how fish generate nutrients that feed plants, while plants help clean the water, thus understanding the natural cycles and interdependence of ecosystems. Students carry out irrigation activities, growth monitoring, data recording, scientific observation... In addition, sustainable practices such as cutting down water use through drip irrigation, resource reuse, composting, and healthy food production are promoted.

Goals

• Achieve wellbeing and health in schools.

• To promote the wellbeing and comprehensive training of the students.

• Develop entrepreneurial thinking through sustainable projects.

Reproducibility/lessons learnt

• Hands-on, nature-based learning strengthens student engagement and overall development

• School gardens can become permanent educational spaces integrating learning, care, and production

Marine Education Material (Denmark) [2026]

Country: Denmark

Target: Students and schools, Teachers and educators

Short Description

In a collaborative educational project, Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, local nature guides and gymnasium teachers worked together to make inspiration material focusing on the marine environment. The material has since 2021 been used as part of the Eco-School theme called “The Sea”. Therefore, it integrates Blue Flag focus points such as marine protection, water quality and biodiversity. Ideally, the fieldwork will be carried out at or near Blue Flag beaches, with the possibility of working together with Blue Flag nature guides.

Goals

• Strengthen marine environmental education by cooperating between Blue Flag and Eco-Schools

• Motivate schools to teach about the sea using Blue Flag sites or Blue Flag material

• Provide new inspiration for teachers and/or Blue Flag nature guides

Reproducibility/lessons learnt

• Through the promotion of the material on both programs, the hope is that both Blue Flag teachers and school-teachers will be introduced to the materials.

Community Tree Planting and Coastal Conservation (Spain) [2026]

Country: Spain

Site: Mijas Municipality

Target: Students and schools, Teachers and educators, Local communities and residents, Families and kids

Short Description

The Mijas Reforesta program coordinates reforestation activities in the mountains, coastal dunes (in el Chaparral Blue Flag beach for instance), and urban green spaces of the municipality, aiming to strengthen local biodiversity and create urban forests as CO₂ sinks. With the collaboration of local schools, including Eco-Schools such as Salliver School in Fuengirola, volunteers have planted nearly a thousand Mediterranean species seedlings produced at the Municipal Nursery. Some environmental walks and educational trails also took place on the Blue Trail, which links several beaches, four of which are Blue Flag beaches. Planting native species, conducting seed workshops, and caring for tree growth allows participants to experience natural cycles and understand the importance of biodiversity.

Goals

• Promote environmental education and active participation, following the Eco-Schools philosophy.

• Conserve and restore local ecosystems through reforestation actions.

• Encourage attitude and behavior changes toward sustainable practices among participants
  
  

Reproducibility/lessons learnt

• The combination of hands-on action, holistic learning, and interpretive excursions shows that environmental education can generate lasting attitude changes, encourage sustainable habits, and strengthen connections with nature and the community.