BirdLife Malta's Blooming Schools project, funded by Erasmus+, is sparking a movement among Maltese middle and Secondary schools to connect young people with nature through hands-on conservation and advocacy. Focused on creating wildlife-friendly gardens on school grounds, the initiative encourages students to engage directly with biodiversity and learn practical ways to protect it.
By fostering a love for nature and providing tools to support local wildlife, Blooming Schools also inspires communities to create similar green spaces across Malta. Here's a closer look at how Blooming Schools began, its ongoing impact, and why it's vital for the future of Malta's biodiversity.
First graduates of the Vlogging Academy for Sustainability - Youth exchange Romania. Photo by Station Europe
Who is behind Blooming Schools?
BirdLife Malta coordinates the Blooming Schools project with support from Friends of the Earth Malta, St Nicholas College Dingli Secondary, and international partners like the Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves (SPEA, BirdLife Portugal), Agrupamento de Escolas de Portela e Moscavide in Portugal, Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS, BirdLife Greece) and Station Europe in Romania. This collaborative network brought together educational and conservation expertise to make environmental learning a core part of school life.
When did it all begin?
Blooming Schools builds on BirdLife Malta's 30-year history of conservation education. Building on the success of their primary school program, Dinja Waħda, BirdLife Malta sought to extend its impact to secondary schools, applying for Erasmus+ funding in 2021. With these resources, they began developing targeted materials for teens and teachers, inspiring them to continue their environmental journey from primary school through secondary school and beyond.
St Nicholas College Dingli Primary Wildlife Garden. Photo by BirdLife Malta
How is BirdLife Malta engaging with schools and youth?
Blooming Schools provides teachers and students with opportunities to engage directly with nature through creating wildlife gardens, carrying out biodiversity surveys, and sustainability-focused lessons.
Here are the concrete results of the project:
- "Let's make a Wildlife Garden" book was launched, a practical manual tailored to the Mediterranean, guiding schools in creating gardens that support native species and foster a hands-on connection with the environment. The manual offers step-by-step guidance for creating biodiversity-friendly gardens, with practical advice, visual aids, and an annex listing native species and their specifications to guide planting choices. As biodiversity declines globally, projects like Blooming Schools are essential for improving urban biodiversity, making school gardens welcoming spaces for pollinators and other wildlife. This adds value to communities and cultivates an appreciation for nature, beyond the classroom, that students carry with them into adulthood.
- Teachers, meanwhile, have access to an online training, resources and proposed activities, which provide strategies for nature-based learning across subjects. The online training demonstrates how nature-based learning integrates the STEAM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). For example, students can apply mathematical concepts to design garden layouts, scientific knowledge to understand plant needs, and technological tools to document their work. These resources encourage students to think critically about environmental issues and consider practical solutions for sustainability.
- The online module comes accompanied by a set of activities that can be carried out in middle and secondary schools connected with the Sustainable Development Goals. The activities are designed to make students aware of the actions they can take for the environment, from hands-on activities to engaging the surrounding community.
- BirdLife Malta is also building on its youth engagement strategy, fostering a new generation of environmental champions by inviting students to volunteer or spend their time with FALKO youth group (16-25 years old) or Young Birders Club (10-15 years old). Young people have the opportunity to connect and share their passion for nature, creating lifelong friendships and a strong young network.
- The Vlogging Academy for Sustainability trains students to share environmental messages effectively on social media, helping them develop advocacy skills and spread conservation awareness. As part of this, BirdLife Malta launched its first Nature Protectors video challenge, inviting young people to create short videos about the threats to Malta's environment with a call to action. The challenge encouraged participants to share the beauty of Malta's nature and inspire community action.
Surveying the school grounds. Photo by BirdLife Malta
Looking ahead
BirdLife Malta remains committed to empowering students and teachers to play active roles in conservation. Through wildlife gardens, interactive learning, and community involvement, the project gives young people a platform to connect with nature and become future advocates for sustainability.
With the support of Erasmus+ and dedicated partners, Blooming Schools is cultivating a generation ready to protect biodiversity, making it a vital initiative for Malta's environmental future.
Getting involved
Check more about the project, download the manual and start growing wildlife-friendly spaces that support biodiversity and foster a deeper connection with the natural world!
More information here
