Written by: Tigran Keryan

As part of the APPEAR EcoServ project, BOKU University recently hosted a teacher seminar and a summer school focused on the assessment of ecosystem services and the integration of biodiversity education into universities and schools. Those events, held in the Arzakan community of Armenia on 8^th-9^th July and 11^th-17^th July 2024 respectively, brought together school and university teachers from various disciplines. The EcoServ team organised interactive workshops and field studies, enabling participants to develop methods for implementing the Citizen Science approach to explore the ecosystem services of the Hrazdan River basin. Additionally, teachers were trained to integrate iNaturalist into their biodiversity education curricula. These sessions equipped participants with methods and tools to engage citizens in assessing local ecosystem services effectively.

Following the teacher seminar, the EcoServ Summer School 2024 was organised for students from various disciplines. They joined forces with local community members in Armenia to further explore and assess ecosystem services. Through participatory methods and transdisciplinary approaches, participants co-created knowledge, making a significant step forward in engaging universities and local schools with real-life environmental challenges.

During the events, ᴇNᴀBʟS was presented to participants, with the BOKU team highlighting its role in integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and biodiversity into higher and vocational education institutions. BOKU’s Institute of Landscape Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning (ILEN) is coordinating the EcoServ Project and is a partner of the ᴇNᴀBʟS project, taking responsibility for operating the Austrian Living Lab and preparing guidelines for the replicability of the ᴇNᴀBʟS approaches. Representatives of both projects will further deepen the cooperation between the two, contributing to mutual learning and joining forces to promote sustainability and ecosystem protection.