Understanding biodiversity through exploration. Preliminary insights about methods and tools from research field.

The speech summarises the work carried out by the BEAT (Biodiversity Education and Awareness Toolkit) research group for the NBFC in the fields of biodiversity education. It focuses on the methodological framework implemented, based on experiential and participatory approaches, aimed at promoting awareness of the biodiversity’s value in connection with local environments and variety of its features. Exploring is here conceived as a pedagogical approach which, while supporting individual interests, encourages questioning and co-research within the group, among peers and with adults. A sustainable toolkit was designed in order to facilitate the explorative approach in heterogeneous places (urban environments and natural ones). The toolkit consists in a set of easily handmade paper becks, combinable, containing different input useful to start exploring. Since november 2024, following a national open call, this approach is implemented (still ongoing) through the aforementioned toolkit and currently involves over fifty professionals from different educational services (from ECEC to secondary schools), distributed in 10 Italian regions and has already reached more than 650 children and youngs, from 3 years old to University students. Preliminary research results show that an exploratory approach based on a direct relation with places and real curiosity, when accompanied by adults who are able to give space to exploratory paths, stimulates knowledge production through self-questioning, self-positioning in relation to variability and construction of meaningful “patterns” useful for interpretation. This kind of experience, repeated over time, fosters a deeper learning attitude rooted in curiosity, autonomy, and connection with the surrounding environment.