An educational project for supporting the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD)

1. An educational project for supporting the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) idea: Simone Janasimplementation/organisation: NABU Wiesloch, (nature conservancy org.) finance support: Wiesloch, department of environment

2. Aims of project • to give knowledge to the demands of the WFD • to implement a knowledge base • to communicate this to the public

3. rivers: Rhine, Neckarmountain region: Odenwald, woodedplane region: Kraichgau, Upper Rhine valley agriculture tectonical depression close colonisation Landsat-survey, Rhine-Neckar-Area in the south of Heidelberg

5. Orthofoto Frauenweiler Wiesen M 1:5000S.Janas

7. Basic mental settings with starting the project – percepted situation in the urban districts • steep and technical constructed riverbanks • weirs, dams, subterraneous canalisations • waste in the riverbed, perception as a sewage water cloaca • not cognizable as natural habitat • Obstacle for development of settlement and traffic • Passability and other morphological demands were unknown

8. Historical Situation • Historical mining industry with silver ore washery • Extreme heavy metall contamination of the stream sediments • Straightening of the streams since the middle ages (and even older), drainage systems • Use of water power (watermills) • Danger of flooding • Historical use, existing customary laws, local behaviour patterns and the above-mentioned negative consequences influence the perception and behaviour

9. source of sedimental load step erosion sedimental load agriculturally used floodplain Actual situation in the rural areas

10. bank erosion riparian forest Actual situation in the nature protecting areas

11. Iris pseudacorus Primula elatior Actual situation in the nature protecting areas

12. Bombina variegata Salamandra salamandra Actual situation in the nature protecting areas

13. Aims of project • to give knowledge to the demands of the WFD • to implement a knowledge base • to communicate this to the public

14. target groups • students • parents and residents • administration department • political persons being in charge of • transfer knowledge directly • to arouse public interest • willingness to work out solutions • influence their interest and decisions

15. habitat water • stream morphology • flood protection • experiences with water • clean water • water cycle (hydrology) Contents of learning

16. Methods - Learning • Education for sustainable development in cooperation with different schools and preschools

17. To experience nature as a rich treasure chest • To experience the stream as a unic and formative part of the landscape • To associate the experience of Nature with happiness • To remove fear of Nature Basic educational principles - ecological

18. To research in groups • To enjoy the adventure • To trust in the own work and activities Basic educational principles-social competences

19. Basic educational principles -beeing part of the society/partizipation To enable wide-ranging experiences outside of the home and school environment • To prepare children for complex knowledge understanding and the need for active participation

20. target groups students transfer knowledge parents and residents to arouse public interest administrationdepartment willingness to work out solutions political persons being in charge of influence their interest and decisions

21. Methods - public relation work • Immediant and current publications of the activities taking place in the local newspapers • Publications in special journals

22. target groups students transfer knowledge parents and residents to arouse public interest administrationdepartment willingness to work out solutions political persons being in charge of influence their interest and decisions

23. Methods - public relation work • Organisation of exhibitions of great importance • High decorated awards

24. Sequence of action • 2001: start of the project with working out a help for teachers • 2002: awarded with the „AGENDA 21-Förderpreis des Landes Baden-Würtemberg in 2002“ • 2004: exhibition with results of a several day´s duration lab completed with informations of the administration and fire departement • 2006: preschool enlargement; renaming as „educational project – waters“; start of the curricullum „water“ with Sibylla-Merian-Schule, Wiesloch • since 2001 more than 1500 times children had contact to this project • In summertime almost weekly publications

25. Difficulties and handling Very slowly progress in the beginning • Patronage of the administation department • Assumption of costs by the department of environment • Coming in conformity with requirements of the course of instructions (syllabus) • Arranging the organisational matters • Realize an effective operation

26. Impressions Mental modification Accumulated demand – students loking forward to the projekt Themes about „water“ are interesting Cognition of the importance of water-themes and management on the part of the administration departement Work out a curriclum with a whole basic school Periodical labs with the third class level Waterthemes are sometimes in local newspaper Statement in „Nachhaltigkeitsbericht der Stadt Wiesloch“

27. Impressions - changes? Demands of the WFD - structural shift Cleaning of the boundary; sometimes with bad letters to the editor because of waste in the stream a fish-die-off was discussed in the papers Administration gained access to the the stream very close to the inner city Plans about urban renaturalisation and floodprotection are in work • waste in the riverbed, perception as a sewage water cloaca • not cognizable as natural habitat • steep and technical constructed riverbanks

28. Impressions - changes? Demands of the WFD - structural shift • weirs • dams • subterraneous canalisations There are plans to destroy weirs of mills There are plans to construct heeps of dams in the floodplain (flood protection management) - Conflict between renaturalisation and technical flood protection management One was opened with a great succes; A big one causes massive technical flood protection

29. Position & Limits The project implement a knowledge base to students, teachers and their parents Arouse public interest to stream connected themes due to the newspapers support To coact and work out solutions with the administration departement (partizipation) depends on the intention of the administration and (different) interests. For some reasons (financial matter & social peace) it is not part of the public agenda to give detailed knowledge to the demands of the WFD Influence the interest and decisions of political persons being in charge is not evaluable.

30. Tasks Bottom up To coact and work out solutions with the administration departement depends on the aims and (different) interests. For some reasons (financial matter & social peace) it is not part of the public agenda to give detailed knowledge to the demands of the WFD Influence interest and decisions of political persons being in charge is not evaluable.