Education and
Awareness
We want to have an impact on the perception of wildfires, by promoting the sustainable management of fire and natural resources through education.
How can we prevent large wildfires?
In 2024, we carried out the first pilot test of the Learning and Service project (Aprenantatge IiServei, APIS), ‘How can we prevent large wildfires?’ Aimed at high school students, the project aims to raise awareness and community action on wildfires. By applying the learning acquired through a field experience, students perform community service, a participatory environmental education and/or citizen science activity, to evaluate the effects of fires and protect the environment as a prevention tool.
Date: 2023-2025
Funding: Departament de Territori, Habitatge i Transició Ecològica (Generalitat de Catalunya)
Website: APIS project
About the project
Wildfires are becoming more common and recurring. In Catalonia, rural abandonment and drought conditions in forests caused by climate change have led to more intense and severe fires. Given this, it is important to share the knowledge we have about wildfires with the population, particularly young people, so they can be prepared and have more contextual elements that contribute to rethinking the current economic and social model. To this end, the project ‘How can we prevent large wildfires?’ proposes three pilot tests to implement, assess, and adapt the project’s content and results, with the goals that students:
- Learn about the current landscape situation in relation to wildfires and climate change.
- Understand the concept of self-protection against wildfires.
- Propose proposals and strategies to adapt the landscape and society to wildfires and climate change.
- Provide a service to raise awareness among the local population about the issue or influence wildfire fire prevention and self-protection at the local level.
The pilot tests
Three schools were identified to conduct the learning sessions andput them into practice through community service. These were the Taradell High School (Taradell, Barcelona); Mig-Món High School (Súria, Barcelona); and Pere Vives High School (Igualada, Barcelona). In 2024, we conducted the pilot test at the Taradell high school, which focused on implementing the teacher training, the field guide developed, and performing the community service, which in this case was the creation of a mural in the schoolyard to raise awareness about wildfires.
Projects, MeFiTu workshops and outreach activities in 2024
Training for Primary School Teachers: Adapting to Wildfires in a Climate Change Context in the Province of Tarragona aims to equip teachers with tools and educational resources to effectively address the topic of wildfires and landscape management in the classroom, specifically tailored to the local context. Through this initiative, we seek to foster environmental awareness among young children by promoting an understanding of the importance of adapted landscapes as a key strategy for preventing large wildfires.
EduFire Toolkit
Period: 2022-2024
Funding: EC Erasmus+ Program
Coordination: Fundación Pau Costa
Web: edufiretoolkit.eu
This project aims to contribute knowledge and raise awareness among high school teachers and students about challenges related to climate change and forest fire risk reduction. EduFire creates a set of multidisciplinary educational resources, following a project-based learning methodology. In 2024, we conducted the pilot test at the Taradell Institute, organized multiplier events, and published the platform with all the educational materials for students and teachers that the project has generated.
Art & Fire
Date: 2024
In 2024, we gave new impetus to Art & Fire, a project to raise awareness about forest fires through art. We brought on new artists and launched a social media outreach campaign. We also published the book “The Link with Fire” featuring works by Pep Serra and participated in the “Pyroecologies” project, which unites art and science.
MeFiTu: ‘Festa dels Bombers‘, (Bellaterra, Barcelona)
Date: December 15, 2024
We held a MeFiTu workshop at the operational center of the Catalan Fire and Rescue Service as part of the annual celebration before the Christmas holidays.
MeFiTu: Barnola School (Avinyó, Barcelona)
Date: September 24, 2024
Within the framework of the Camí Ramader de Marina, we held the MeFiTu environmental education workshop for first-year secondary school students at this school. The students learnt about fire behavior and the importance of landscape management. We counted on the participation of the Catalan Fire and Rescue Service.
MeFiTu at the ‘Sentim la Muga‘ festival (Girona)
Date: September 16, 2024
As part of a thematic day organized by the Pioneers of our Time Foundation, we and the residents of the Muga Valley learnt about the importance of forest management to prevent large wildfires. We held a MeFiTu workshop, building two highly realistic models and creating a mural with natural dyes depicting the valley the residents envision.
MeFiTu: Aldana School (Barcelona)
Date: June 20, 2024
We participated with the MeFiTu workshop in the end-of-year celebration at the Aldana School in Barcelona. We brought together students of different ages and their families at this school that welcomes a wide variety of cultures.
MeFiTu: Barcelona Science Festival
Date: June 9, 2024
As part of the Barcelona Science Festival, we brought the MeFiTu workshop to a predominantly urban audience. During the event, we also offered an informative talk for children about wildfires and the importance of forest management.
MeFiTu: Vallgorguina School (Vallgorguina, Barcelona)
Date: May 17, 2024
We held a special Mefitu workshop. In addition to explaining the importance of forest management through the traditional workshop format, the 10 and 11-year-old students at this school learned firsthand how forests are managed through extensive livestock farming. To this end, we collaborated with the Can Plana farm, part of the Ramats de Foc project. We also had the support of the Vallfirest company and the Catalan Fire and Rescue Service.
This Mefitu was held as part of a grant from CaixaBank.
MeFiTu: ‘International Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference’ (Tralee, Ireland)
Date: April 15, 2024
We held the MefiTu workshop at this conference organized by IAWF to showcase an educational and awareness-raising proposal on wildfires. Members of the Foundation’s executive team who attended the conference participated in the workshop.
MeFiTu: Parc de l’Aigua School (Lleida)
Date: April 9, 2024
With 10-year-old students from this school, we discussed fires and forest management, and reinforced what they’d learnt through games in a forest area near the school. We counted on the collaboration of the Catalan Fire and Rescue Service.
MeFiTu: Mollet de Peralada Transhumance Fair (Girona)
Date: March 10, 2024
Once again this year, we participated in this fair with the Ramats de Foc team. We explained this project and also facilitated the MeFiTu workshop to the little ones.
Outreach Materials
Informative article
July 22, 2024
How is a wildfire emergency managed and who are the actors involved?
Informative carousel
October 21, 2023
Debunking myths: Fire is an enemy of the Mediterranean forest (in Spanish)
Informative carousel
November 11, 2024
Debunking myths: More suppression resources, fewer wildfires (in Spanish)
Informative carousel
December 2, 2024
Debunking myths: There wouldn’t be wildfires without humans (in Spanish)