Calabria is a floristic hotspot just at the center of Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, an increasing number of alien plant species threats this natural heritage, exactly while the crucial role of botany in secondary schools of Italy has been definitely dismantled. Calabrian Native Project is an environmental education project planned by Istituto Tecnico Agrario of Catanzaro that, reintroducing some key concepts of botany and biogeography, allowing pupils to experience a botanical excursion in the close-to-the-school Mediterranean Biodiversity Park, gives them the opportunity to become acquainted with both native and alien species. Pupils are asked to collect native plant propagules and to seed or cultivate the material in the school greenhouses, and to take care of these plants until their use. The prevalent outdoor and laboratory approach to the issue of bioinvasions, make the project very effective. This feature, with the low cost and reduced technology inputs, make the project highly replicable in other contexts, just focusing appropriate target species.Full article

The objective of this work is to materialize the learning of geobotanical concepts, and a methodology for the interpretation of the landscape, which allows the student to acquire practical knowledge, to obtain sufficient autonomy that allows him to join the labor market. Regarding the methodology, 100 field samples are taken for 3 years, and the participation of 60 students. The evaluation is carried out through reports on the field study. The landscapes of various areas of southern Spain are studied. For this we rely on the methodology previously established by other researchers, through which a complete diagnosis of a territory is reached, since the series and geoseries of vegetation are revealed. Being a study of natural reality, the abstract character presented by concepts such as sigmetum, sinassociation, series, geoseries, climatophilous, edaphoxerophilous, chain; it is perfectly clarified to the student, which makes the student progress efficiently, coming to the fore the acquisition of practical knowledge compared to theoretical ones. For this reason, practical teaching acquires preponderance, since it not only provides knowledge, but also development of cognitive and psychomotor skills, which are essential in the acquisition of skills and development of the individual's personality.Full article

Biodiversity Conservation is a priority issue for the scientific community, and a main subject in the Biology and Geology curriculum at secondary school level in Spanish Educational System. In the present didactic proposal, we use the demographic monitoring of an endangered plant species to illustrate a research tool for estimates of biodiversity loos in nature, the local endemic Astragalus tremolsianus Pau. The aim of the proposal is to bring students closer to a real experience, which brings together knowledge of Biology, Algebra and Trigonometry, through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Showing a census to monitor the populations of a threatened high mountain flora species into the classroom is an innovative teaching activity that combines and uses knowledge from different disciplines, as well as demonstrating a real application of the knowledge acquired. The use of mathematical tools encompasses a number of skills that require the application of mathematical principles and processes in the scientific context. The introduction of the structure of scientific texts is another positive aspect of this didactic experience.Full article

In Cuba, the great diversity and high endemism of the plant formations on serpentine stand out. Cuabales (scrub xeromorphic thorny on serpentine) present important natural values for the sustainability of Cuban biodiversity, but with a high degree of vulnerability. Although there are currently several investigations into the flora and vegetation of these ecosystems, there is a scientific vacuum on the conservation of these plant formations, from the social point of view. In the Callejón de Los Patos of Santa Clara, there is a cuabal, although it presents a high level of deterioration, due to anthropic activity. This research focused on assessing environmental management for the sustainability of the cuabal of Callejón de Los Patos of Santa Clara. The methodological perspective that predominated in the research process was qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data was incorporated to better visualize the trend in the analysis of the results. The investigative methods used were: observation, document analysis, in-depth and structured interviews. The diagnosed results showed insufficient knowledge, in the inhabitants of Callejón de Los Patos, related to the cuabal, its sustainability, and its importance. The absence of collective projection of actions to mitigate environmental problems identified in the settlement, that affect the deterioration of said plant formation was detected; results demonstrate poor environmental management for the sustainability of cuabal.Full article

A domain of practical learning over the theoretical is provided in this work, for this several places of natural interest have been studied (Natural Parks), a quality pedagogical training is obtained, through which the students of Vocational Training and Primary and Secondary Education Teachers obtain competences in the management of natural spaces, which are of interest for conservation, competences in flora, plant communities, habitats and interpretation of the landscape. The learning is eminently practical, which allows trained personnel to enter the labor market. The study of natural spaces has been carried out using direct observation techniques, with the participation of specialist teachers in various fields, because the interpretation of vegetation, habitats and landscape requires multidisciplinary techniques. For this, teaching methodologies in Botany are used, how have the phytosociological sampling techniques been; Geology, Edaphology, and Climatology, in the latter case creating future predictive models that allow the student to make decisions about the management of a territory; this study has made it possible to carry out a comprehensive interpretation of the natural environment, with a notable pedagogical improvement in learning.Full article