Calabrian Native Project: Botanical Education Applied to Conservation and Valorization of Autochthonous Woody Plants

Table 1.

Most important phases of the Calabrian Native Project.

nr.

phases

theme

topic

content

material

1

Indoor preliminary education

(6-10 h; 3-4 weeks)

Safety (at work, during excursions)

Individual safety tools

Boot, gloves, glasses, etc.

PwPt slides

Safety Behaviors

 

PwPt slides

Environmental Botany lecturing

Levels of plants organization

Plant individual, population, species, plant association

PwPt slides

Biodiversity

Biodiversity and naturality

PwPt slides

Principles of Biogeography

Biogeographic regions

PwPt slides

Key concepts: alien, native, endemic (definitions)

PwPt slides

Bioinvasions

Mechanisms, damages, costs (economic and ecologic) of biological pollution, prevention and post-invasion action

PwPt slides

Pre-outdoor requirements

Tools

Student are asked to buy individual safety and gardening tools

Trekking (or safety) boots, gardening gloves, safety glasses, gardening scissor and shovel

Authorization

One/both parents are asked to sign a specific authorization

PDF file available on Google Classroom, to be downloaded, printed, filled and signed by parents

2

Outdoor environmental education (2-4 h; morning)

Naturalistic excursion

Observations on alien and native woody plant species

Scientific names of plants observed, family, ecology of each single species, biogeographic origin, traditional and modern practical uses

Students are stimulated to take notes and pictures during the activity

Observation on different ecological features of the BMP (bedrock, water, etc.)

Names of different bedrocks are provided, microecology of places is explained

Students are stimulated to take notes and pictures during the activity

Collection of plant reproductive materials

Seeds

Plastic bags to collect seeds, acorns, etc.

Branches

Garden scissors are used to collect young branched, later cuttings

3

Greenhouse work

Greenhouse work (2 h; afternoon)

Preparation of soil

Soil is prepared mixing peat and sand (1:2)

Garden shovels are used to perform the mixing

Preparation of phytocells

Phytocells are filled for 1/5 (3-5 cm) of gravel, then soil up to around 7 cm of the rim

Garden shovels, phytocells, gravel, soil

Seeding seeds

Phytocell are seeded with 3 acorns

Seeds, acorns

Planting cuttings

Phytocell are seeded with many cuttings

Cuttings

Irrigation

Seeded and planted phytocell

Water

4

Post-planting work

Homework

(1-2 weeks)

Write a detailed report of the phases 2-3

Report on former steps of the project

Pc, report

Write files on targets species

Files on targets species

Pc, species files

Caring activity

(2-7 months)

Periodical irrigation of phytocells

Removed the Covid-19 restrictions, the students can reach the school farm at coffee break (10.50-11.10)

Water

Checking the germination process

Removed the Covid-19 restrictions, the students can reach the school farm at coffee break (10.50-11.10)

Checking the phytocells

5

Testing

Testing the entire project

(1-2 h)

Written/oral interview on the project phases, key-concepts, experiences done and the activity finalities

Students are tested on main concept faced by the project

Questionnaire or interview

6

Use of plant material

 

Replacement of exotic plants with native ones in the school garden

When alien trees or shrubs plants die they are replaced by students with native ones produced during the project

Native plants produced during the project

Sold for gardening

Part or the produce native plants are sold

Native plants produced during the project

Gifted for renaturation projects

Part or the produce native plants are gifted for private planting and restoration project

Native plants produced during the project