Sustainability & Outdoor Education
Madeira Outdoor - Sustainability & Ecosystems
6 days
Madeira's extraordinary range of ecosystems — from subtropical coast to ancient cloud forest — makes it one of the most powerful natural classrooms in Europe. This course gives teachers a deep, experiential grounding in ecosystem-based sustainability education, using the island itself as both subject and setting.
Participants explore how to bring genuine scientific understanding and emotional connection to sustainability into their classrooms, moving beyond awareness campaigns towards transformative ecological literacy.
Learning Outcomes
Participants to the course will learn to:
Design cross-curricular sustainability units rooted in real ecosystems and ecological processes
Use outdoor and field-based methods to develop student environmental literacy and nature connection
Connect local ecology to global sustainability challenges in ways accessible to all age groups
Apply citizen science and environmental monitoring tools in classroom and outdoor contexts
Build a school sustainability programme aligned with Erasmus+ environmental priorities
Facilitate student emotional connection with nature as a foundation for ecological citizenship
Programme
Madeira Outdoor - Sustainability & Ecosystems
Monday
Introduction to Ecosystem Education
Welcome and course overview.
Introduction to ecosystem concepts: food webs, energy flows, biodiversity and ecological services.
Workshop: designing ecosystem-based learning experiences for your classroom.
Mapping Madeira's ecosystems: coastal, agricultural, forest, volcanic and ocean.
Tuesday
Agricultural Ecosystems & Human Interaction
Curral das Freiras: the volcanic valley as an ecological and human system.
Banana plantation coast near Madalena do Mar: sustainable agriculture, monoculture challenges and land use history.
Field workshop: identifying species, ecological relationships and human impact.
Group discussion: the tensions between economic development and ecological conservation.
Wednesday
Forest Ecosystems & Water Systems
Levada walk near Santana: Madeira's ancient irrigation system as a model of ecological engineering.
Laurisilva forest: UNESCO World Heritage forest — biodiversity, endemism and conservation.
Santana: traditional architecture and human adaptation to forest ecosystems.
Field workshop: species identification, food web construction and ecosystem mapping.
Thursday
Coastal & Marine Ecosystems
Ribeira da Janela: volcanic rock formations and coastal ecosystem dynamics.
Porto Moniz natural pools: marine biodiversity, intertidal ecology and conservation challenges.
Seixal: cliffs, ocean and the Atlantic — marine ecosystem processes.
Workshop: designing a student ocean literacy and coastal ecology project.
Friday
🌊 PLAN A — SPRING / SUMMER
Reflection, Integration & Outdoor Synthesis
Catamaran excursion — whale watching, Atlantic identification and nature observation.
Group reflection on the week's themes in conversation around the sea.
🏫 PLAN B — AUTUMN / WINTER
Indoor Synthesis Workshop
Participants review, consolidate and present their week's learning.
Portfolio work and action planning.
Saturday
Reflection, Gratitude & Moving Forward
Group reflection and guided mindfulness in the garden.
Sharing best practices and personal highlights from the week.
Certificate presentation ceremony.
Group photograph and informal closing celebration.
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Course participants will receive training and engage in exercises designed to develop their skills as trainers. The provision of additional materials or resources will be determined based on the course structure and the instructor’s approach to meeting the learning objectives
Course package content:
Services and activities included in the course package are those described above. Please note that accommodation, transport, and meals are not provided.
Cancellation & changes:
Common sense prevails when it comes to cancellations, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.