Between June 2 and June 6, 2025, twenty-five pupils and students from Pezinok schools embarked on an educational study trip to Austria to visit the City of Pezinok’s partners in the CoDeMoRe project – the Rosalia-Kogelberg Nature Park.
Representatives from the 6th grade of primary schools and eight-year grammar schools, as well as active young people from youth organizations operating in the city, completed a rich program focused on biodiversity and environmental education at the Rosalia-Kogelberg Nature Park. The program ranged from learning about the waters flowing through the park and their diverse aquatic life, to an interactive experience with a beekeeper at the hives, visiting nearby forests accompanied by a forest pedagogue, and exploring a partner’s orchard where key project activities are being implemented. It also included a visit to a local garden to discover its biodiversity and utility value. The trip concluded with a visit to Forchtenstein Castle and a reptile center.
Statements from the participants:
“Today, I was inspired by the lake. A lake endures everything, and it reflects one’s personality and relationship with nature.”
“We visited a beekeeper. We learned many interesting facts about bees. We made candles and received some honey – it is delicious!”
“Nature inspires me on my life path. It helps me perceive the world more beautifully… I am looking forward to tomorrow!”
“I was inspired by the Eurasian scops owl – the symbol of the Rosalia-Kogelberg Nature Park. I liked it very much. It lives and hunts at night between 10:30 PM and 3:00 AM, which is when they manage to film it hunting for food. We also heard the sounds it makes. It feeds on insects and only rarely on small mice.”
“I really liked the terrarium. Seeing the reptiles there and being able to hold a royal python. There were many reptiles like a crocodile, monitor lizards, agamas, pythons, but also scorpions and spiders.”
“I really liked the behavior of the millipedes; it was incredible. I was also fascinated by the cockroaches and the bioluminescent millipedes.”
“I would love to repeat the experience of realizing our own idea for a landscape intervention by the stream.”
“Today, I was inspired by the natural swimming pool. I enjoyed learning about biodiversity, the activities, the experienced people, learning about insects and fruit, and the walk to the hills with holes where the European bee-eater lives.”
“If I were to teach others something from today, it would be how to build a small wooden house or which plants are edible.”
“Today, I was inspired by working with a microscope. It reminded me that I should use mine more often.”
“I enjoyed today. I learned a lot about Austrian nature. I discovered a lot about aquatic animals and wildlife in this beautiful country.”
“I really liked the forest guide. She considers nature and forests to be a religion; she believes in it and lives by it.”
“Today, I was inspired by observing European bee-eaters. I heard their numbers have significantly declined, so we could do something for our birds in Pezinok, such as nesting boxes or quiet no-hunting zones. Birds are important to us.”
The participants will be involved in further project activities – for example, in 2026, following up on this educational stay, children from Austria will visit the City of Pezinok as the lead partner. Just as our participants had the chance to see the project’s impact in practice at the Rosalia-Kogelberg Nature Park, representatives of the Austrian partner will have the opportunity to see the impact of the CoDeMore project in the City of Pezinok.
