Abstract:

Within the context of an interdisciplinary innovation project, experts from different fields (Botany, Ecology, Environmental Education and Didactics of Sciences) have collaborated to design and evaluate educational resources and interventions to raise sustainability consciousness and to develop green competences among high education students, enrolled in different university courses. The main aim was to equip them with the knowledge, values and skills to act as environmental citizens and to prepare them for their near future as highly committed professionals, who are ready to contribute to a more sustainable world from different fields. Initially, students enrolled in different university degrees were invited to participate in a survey based on a previously validated questionnaire to measure sustainability consciousness. The main idea was to get an overview of the level of sustainability consciousness among high education students with different backgrounds and professional motivations. Afterwards, those students were immersed in some experiential activities set in a native flora garden and were challenged to design their own projects about how the resources around them could be used to raise different audience’s awareness about the importance to keep the natural heritage, to promote a healthy relation with nature and to preserve ecological services and native species. This work discusses results from the baseline study and the interdisciplinary experience, identifying challenges and opportunities.

Keywords:

High Education, Sustainability Consciousness, Botanic Gardens, Environmental Education.