INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

Is it possible to combine family gatherings and fun with environmental education in one event? Definitely yes. The best example of this is the ‘Summer in Parks’ celebrations, which have returned to landscape parks thanks to the project ‘I know green – I care for green – environmental education in landscape parks’, co-financed by the regional programme European Funds for Kujawsko-Pomorskie 2021-2027. This year’s ’ Summer in the Parks‘ was inaugurated by the Górzno-Lidzbark Landscape Park, where an educational family picnic was organised together with the management, teaching staff and parents’ council of the School Complex in Górzno.

The rich programme included a variety of attractions for both the youngest and slightly older children. During the event, the Górzno-Lidzbark Landscape Park prepared an ‘educational town’ with themed educational and workshop stands, which turned learning into a real adventure. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about the world of pollinating insects and see how crucial their role is in the ecosystem. The herbal workshops were very popular, during which participants could learn about the medicinal properties of plants, smell their aromas and create their own tea blends. In the GLPK tent, visitors were taken on a journey into the past. This was thanks to a presentation of old forestry tools once used to extract tree resin. Visitors to the town discovered the rich bird life of the park, learned about ways to actively protect animals, and created their own seed bombs, which, once sown, will enrich and flower wasteland, gardens and balconies. Stands dedicated to renewable energy sources and biomass harvesting made visitors aware of how close we can be to an ecological future thanks to our own choices. There were also practical tips – participants learned about eco-labels and how to implement ecological solutions in their own homes. Children enthusiastically took advantage of the attractions prepared for them, competed in a large-format board game, solved puzzles in a nature-themed escape room and tried their hand at driving a solar go-kart. The picnic was bustling with life, integration and green inspiration, and the atmosphere proved that environmental education goes hand in hand with good fun.

The picnic programme also included a raffle, a field game, creative and art stands, and catering facilities with a barbecue, homemade snacks and baked goods. Pony rides and the opportunity to meet a firefighter and learn about his work brought a lot of joy, especially to children. Book lovers were invited to the chill-out zone of the municipal library. In the educational and prevention tent, schoolchildren were educated about the harmful effects of stimulants using glasses that simulate the state after consuming alcohol or drugs. During the event, family chess and sports tournaments were held in the sports hall, and a bouncy castle area was prepared for the youngest children. The event was enlivened by meetings with fairy-tale characters, soap bubbles and music.

Events such as ‘Summer in the Parks’ are not only an opportunity for family integration and fun, but above all a chance to spend time actively and creatively in the open air, to learn more about the fascinating world of fauna and flora, to build respect for nature, and to shape ecological awareness from an early age.

Górzno-Lidzbark Landscape Park

11 June 2025