News

From 12–16 May 2025, the Deltas & Wetlands Symposium 2025, took place in Tulcea, Romania, bringing together around 80 participants from across Europe and beyond, including scientists, nature-based solutions (NBS) practitioners, NGOs, academics and representatives of the European Commission. ICLEI Europe and Association Verde & Moldova – a demonstrator site within NBS EduWORLD – jointly presented their work on NBS education for biodiversity conservation. 

Their presentation focused on activities implemented in Moldova between 2022 and 2025, particularly in the Lower Prut and Danube Delta Biosphere Reserves. These included teacher training, the development of greening curriculum guidelines, and the establishment of learning hubs. Local schools and communities were engaged through practical educational activities related to climate change and biodiversity, including events on World Environment Day and International Cleaning Day. 

ICLEI Europe highlighted the importance of NBS education, referencing Eurobarometer data showing that 94% of EU citizens care about environmental protection, while many young people feel unprepared by current curricula. The GreenComp framework and the Youth Inclusion Toolkit – developed during the 2024 NBS EduWORLD hackathon – were presented as key tools for addressing this gap and supporting municipalities in involving young people. 

Additional examples from NBS EduWORLD were also shared: biodiversity-themed card games and citizen science tools used in Paris and Belgrade; schoolyard greening initiatives in Zaragoza (Spain); a tree planting activity with pupils in Lykovrysi-Pefki (Greece); biodiversity field visits with university students in Hungary; and educational materials created in Bucharest (Romania) by the Technical University. 

The symposium reinforced the value of collaboration across borders and sectors—underscoring how educational initiatives like those from NBS EduWORLD can drive meaningful change in biodiversity conservation.