Developed in the framework of WaterLANDS (GA 101036484), Giants of the Lagoon is a participatory experience that invites the exploration of the lagoon environment in a movement towards the observed subject: from the observation of the landscape, through the use of binoculars, to the search of even the smallest elements that can be found in the soil thanks to a magnifying glass. A suggestion to emphasize the value of each individual element in relation to all the others in a holistic view, inviting a continuous reversal of perspective, useful to know and take care of what is around us.
School Year 2025/26 – Forth Edition
This year, the program involved 15 classes, including many students from Mestre with different cultural backgrounds, for whom the field excursion was their first opportunity to visit the lagoon, and for some, to see Venice itself. The educational program includes a teacher training session, two classroom lessons with tailored materials to introduce the lagoon ecosystem, in preparation for the field excursions, which took place in the end of March and beginning of April.
During the excursion, students were divided into small groups, each one accompanied by a nature guide, and explored different lagoon environments: the salt marsh, the field, and the beach. After their observations, the groups prepared creative presentations about them to share with their classmates, using various formats: interviews, songs, riddles… In the afternoon, students played a pilot version of the Barena Game, designed by Claudio Beorchia, WL artist in residence. Following a preliminary phase, conducted last year, in which students helped co-design the game by naming its various elements, this year the testing of the game was focused on the teams’ dynamics. The excursions concluded with a boat birdwatching session in the Northern lagoon, guided by an ornithologist. On average, 25 different species were observed during each experience.
A final event will take place on the 29th of May, when the participants will have the opportunity to share what they have learned, put their knowledge into practice through specially designed games, and find answers to any further questions that have emerged after their field observations. During that occasion, also students’ families, Venice residents and visitors will be invited to participate and play the updated version of the “Barena Game”.
School Year 2024/25 – Third Edition
The third edition of the programme took place from the beginning of the school year, with the involvement of teachers in the training course on the lagoon environment, and included two classroom meetings on the introduction of the lagoon, the importance of its preservation and ecosystem restoration. Finally, all the classes were guided on an exploration of Sant’Erasmo and the Northern Lagoon, observing the different lagoon environments and their inhabitants up close. Pupils filled in the same cards with exercises to be completed before and after the programme, and a selection of drawings and texts from these cards can be seen on posters distributed in Mestre and Venice from May to July 2025.
School Year 2023/24 – Second Edition
The second edition started at the beginning of the school year with a training course for the teachers by the Environmental experts Lorenzo Bonometto, Alessandro Sartori and Giovanni Timossi. Throughout the year the students met twice the naturalistic experts at school and they were guided on two field trips, once by their teachers and once by the naturalistic guides and the WahV team. All classes explored Sant’Erasmo and the Northern Lagoon during the second field trip and they observed with a guide three different environments on the island. Every student also received a field sheet and a logbook where to take annotations during the excursions.
The final event was open to the public and took place at Palazzo alle Zattere on the 24th of May. On that occasion students presented their research inspired by the program and the project’s milestones to visitors. The event ended with a general presentation of the project with speeches from representatives of the participating schools, while throughout the afternoon, a serigraphy workshop was available, where participants could print lagoon-themed illustrations on fabric or paper items brought from home. The exhibition showcased original materials created and collected throughout the educational project, including drawings, photographs, soil chromatographic analyses, maps, and illustrations, and was open until the 7th of June 2024 with free access.
School Year 2022/23 – First Edition
The pilot project was conceived in 2023 by We are here Venice ETS with the Wageningen University and the Natural History Museum Giancarlo Ligabue. The project involved 6 secondary school classes from the greater Venice area in an exploration of the lagoon and its fundamental elements, to emphasise each individual element’s value in relation to all the others in a holistic vision. During the lagoon excursions, students aged between 11 and 12 compiled a special logbook, the results of which were presented during a public event at the Natural History Museum on 27 May 2023. The event was also part of EU Green Week 2023 Programme to raise awareness and educate people about the importance of protecting the environment and promoting sustainable living practices.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036484 (WaterLANDS). This output reflects the views of the authors and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.