Jena project receives the German Forest Education Award

Press release of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald Bundesverband e. V.(link is external):

"Waldweise - Waldzeit für ältere Menschen" is the name of the winning project of this year's German Forest Education Award. On 29.05.2024, the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (SDW) presented the award to the Waldkinder Jena e.V.(link is external) association at the forum natura nature experience center(link is external) in the presence of Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele. The theme for the year was "Never too old for the forest: lifelong learning".

"Education has been one of the SDW's main tasks for decades. With this year's award, we wanted to focus on offers for senior citizens in the forest that have been given too little consideration to date. The jury chose the 'Waldweise - Waldzeit für ältere Menschen' project because it enables intensive access to the forest in a fixed group," says Christoph Rullmann, explaining the decision in favor of the winning project. "The project shows that it is possible to offer forest-related education for sustainable development to older people in an innovative way."

With the prize money of 3,000 euros, the initiators Ines Flade and Anja Nebel from the Waldkinder Jena e. V. association want to carry out their project more frequently and purchase additional materials.

The Waldweise project

Waldweise, the forest time for older people, stands for a five-hour stay in nature for people aged 65 and over. Despite frequent age-related restrictions, up to ten older people regularly visit the forest. The forest day takes place monthly from April to October and enables people to build up intensive relationships with the forest, with others and with themselves. Under the guidance of forest geragogue Ines Flade and physiotherapist Stefanie Schröder, geragogical methods such as biography work and nature dialogues are used to build knowledge and a relationship with the forest.

Background information

The German Forest Education Award is an initiative of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald Bundesverband e. V. and is a contribution to the National Action Plan ESD.

Since 2010, the German Forest Protection Association has been awarding the German Forest Education Prize to forest education initiatives and projects. The award honours innovative educational projects, provides new impetus and recognizes and highlights outstanding commitment to forest-related education for sustainable development (forest ESD). It is the only nationwide award for educational initiatives on forest ESD. An expert jury nominates and recognizes three forest ESD projects and awards one of them as the winning project. The prize money amounts to 3,000 euros.