If eco-schools and eco-tourist attractions want to teach sustainability to their students and visitors, then they must be the ones leading by example.
Sustainable education from eco-tourism and eco-schools is essential for saving our planet. In 2019, we visited some of the most sustainable schools and eco-tourism spots in the world! Including The Green School in Bali, Indonesia and the International School in Copenhagen, the Cloud Forest--aka Super Trees--in Singapore and Copenhill (the public ski slope built on a factory's rooftop) also in Copenhagen.
ECO-SCHOOLS
The Green School // Bali, Indonesia
A role model for sustainable education, The Green School educates students from pre-kindergarten through high school on the importance of eco-conscious living, and teaching the fundamentals of leading lives that are for the betterment of the planet. Curriculum includes learning about renewable energy, growing local crops, and eco-design.
Not only does the Green School Bali preach sustainability, but the school itself is made of one of the most sustainable and regenerative materials on earth: bamboo. Founder, John Hardy, wholeheartedly believes in the power of innovation, and the impact that growing up in an innovative environment can have on children of all ages. With open-air structures to allow for natural ventilation and light, yet that still offer protection from the elements, composting toilets, solar panels, and more, the school When we visited, we were amazed to learn about the school's origins, mission, and goals for the future as its number of students continues to grow and develop.
The International School // Copenhagen, Denmark
Like The Green School Bali, students at The International School in Copenhagen learn from the school building itself. Covered in more than 12,000 solar panels, the exterior's energy absorption provides for more than half of the school's annual energy needs, which the children then learn about in their maths and physics lessons.
Everything from the desks and materials used within the school come from repurposed, recycled, or sustainable materials--including the play areas on the outside of the school made by company KOMPAN. The building doesn't look like your typical school, but fits seamlessly into the architecture of Copenhagen, with its numerous power plants and factories that dot the peninsulas.
ECO-TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Amager Bakke--aka Copenhill // Copenhagen, Denmark
Also in Copenhagen, Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant, also known as Copenhill, has become a landmark of the Danish values of innovation, progress, and sustainability, as well as acting as a space for public recreation. Educating the public, especially older generations, on the importance of sustainability is a challenge governments around the world are working to tackle. In Copenhagen, it is believed that education can be done through direct engagement with citizens. By creating a public ski slope open to all during the winter, people come to understand what exactly is going on right beneath their feet (skis?), and why it matters.
Processing over 440,000 tonnes of waste and turning it into clean energy annually has helped citizens feel the difference between what pollution looks like, and what the toxin-free steam that is emitted from the top of the plant is. We took a glass ski-lift to the top and took in not only the views, but also came to understand for ourselves how a sustainable future doesn't have to be limiting, but can instead provide recreation for all.
Gardens by the Bay Cloud Forest // Singapore
The bustling city-state of Singapore is filled with some of the most architecturally stunning and daring builds in the East. One such bio-engineering feat is the Cloud Forest, located within the Gardens by the Bay at the south side of the city. The public park boasts three kilometres of waterfront promenade, two conservatories, also known as "domes"--which are two of the largest climate-controlled glasshouses in the world--that showcase tropical and Mediterranean plant species respectively, and man-made "Supertrees" that collect renewable energy through photovoltaic technology on top, encourage biodiversity, and offer an interesting, futuristic learning space for locals and tourists alike.
We had the opportunity to go inside the Tropical Dome, also known as The Cloud Forest, in which visitors are immediately connected with nature.
Dotted with educational plaques communicating the effects of climate change, visitors to The Cloud Forest are taken on a journey through time, faced with the realities of mankind's impact on the earth, and the solutions aimed at helping change the future of our planet.
Visitors can also learn from the design of the dome itself. The specially designed glass encompassing the domes allows for optimal light to be let in for the plants, while also preventing a substantial amount of heat from entering, keeping the internal space at a desired cool temperature for the plants.
For more information on green projects and innovations revolutionising the field of sustainability, and to learn more about how you can get involved, visit goinggreenmedia.com.
Comments