Educating children on the Grumsin World Heritage

14th to 18th June 2021

June 2021 marks the tenth anniversary of the inclusion of the Grumsin Beech Forest in the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Ancient Beech Forests and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe“. Therefore, for the past ten years, children in the district of Joachimsthal (Schorfheide) and the City of Angermünde have been growing up in the immediate vicinity of a World Heritage component. To mark this anniversary, the city of Angermünde prepared exciting educational programmes about the Grumsin Beech Forest. 

World Heritage Grumsin Education Week

One of the activities the city organised was the “World Heritage Grumsin Education Week” from the 14th to the 18th of June 2021. Throughout these dates, 15 students between 13 and 15 years had the opportunity to explore the World Heritage Site on their doorstep. The activities included meeting important actors from the region, becoming musically and artistically creative, and spending a wonderful time together in nature. Further, the students also got to know the challenges that such a World Heritage Site entails, discussed the importance of the forest in our world today, and their responsibility in its protection.

Living and learning in the World Natural Heritage Grumsin Beech Forest component part

On the other hand, after the summer holidays, various institutions and programmes including the BEECH POWER project, will offer free, half-day educational events under the motto “Living and learning in the Grumsin Beech Forest World Natural Heritage”. These educational programmes are designed for different school classes and children’s age groups from the region. 

During these excursions with environmental educators, the pupils will be able to learn about the incredible history and inner cycles of beech forests, discover surprising connections, and think about the significance of the Grumsin beech forest in a global context. Finally, on the basis of the knowledge gained, educators will ask the children and young people to reflect on their own way of life from a sustainability perspective.

Schools and other educational institutions in the City of Angermünde and the district of Joachimsthal can book these activities from the 9th of August. Please find additional information on the educational events and registration HERE.