Young people from high school create games for nature conservation

Gamers4Nature - Mission Earth is an Erasmus+ project coordinated by the University of Aveiro and one of its partners is BioLiving Association. The aim of this project is to raise awareness about changing behaviors in relation to the environment, promoting knowledge about nature conservation and biodiversity. How? Through the development and implementation of strategies to encourage the active participation of young students (high school and higher education) in creating games for mobile devices.

On October 25th, 2021, 30 people, students and teachers of high schools, from Portugal, Ireland, Hungary and Spain, gathered in Aveiro (Portugal) to start a week of great sharing and learning.

The challenge was launched: to create a digital game about invasive plants, namely the pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana).

Pampas grass is a native species to South America but it is invasive in Europe, which means that its spread affects negatively the balance of the ecosystem in which it is found, as well as human health.

For students to meet this challenge, they would have to get acquainted with the program, the city and the topic. Thus, the first two days were used to do just that.

On the first day, the first stop was the Department of Communication and Arts at the University of Aveiro, where students and teachers got to know better the project, the program of the week and the BioLiving Association.

After lunch, it was time to take a walk around Aveiro, and so BioLiving guided the group on a tour of the city center!

From the Salinas to the Manuel Firmino Market, time passed between laughter, translated words and jokes. The end of the day was marked, on the Fonte Nova pier, with a group photo: "PATATA!".

The second day was spent at BioRia, in the municipality of Estarreja, getting to know the local biodiversity and culture, but mainly invasive plants (the theme of the work). We took our bikes and went to see some of the main invasive plants in BioRia, such as acacias, pampas grass and pine weed.

Back at the Department of Communication and Arts, the scholars spent the third and fourth days in front of the computer, to learn how to program while reflecting on the narrative of the game they wanted to create, also attending a workshop on drawing and character development.

They worked hard on ideas and ways to implement it, which was evident in the final result of the created games. There was even a group that developed a board game called "The Herb Garden".

But this week was not just for work! There was still time to see the sunset at Praia da Barra, visit the Fábrica de Ciência Viva and participate in the city's cultural agenda.

The conclusion is that it was a challenging but very enriching week! Leaving our comfort zone, our country, our culture and away from our language can be difficult but it can also create wonderful opportunities for lots of sharing and new lessons to learn.

As is the goal of the Erasmus+ project itself, these cultural and educational exchange experiences allow for the creation of unforgettable memories and bonds and are opportunities to contribute to the European identity and values ​​of young people.