All beings belong to the nature are always there either they are alive or not. Human beings are just a part of the nature but we think that it only belongs to us. We see the nature as an object that serves us. The nature supplies all our needs to live. We are not conscious of our essential needs so we tend to consume more than we should. We consume the natural resources excessively and destroy them with the aim of having more than we need. In order to cover the excessive consumption of human beings, energy is being produced increasingly day by day. And the natural resources have been destroyed to produce this needed energy. If we keep consuming natural resources at this rate, we will exterminate the World and natural resources soon. We are not aware of the harm we are causing to the nature and we are not aware of our responsibilities to protect it. The international term used to calculate that destruction is ‘ecological footprint’. At this point, ecological footprint makes us see our share in ecological problems and it makes us ask the question ‘What can I do individually?’ for the solution. The answers of this question determine objectives of the project called “I am Being an Ecological Person”. According to given answers, the objectives of the project are shaped under the principles of the ecological life. The objectives of our project are: increasing ecological awareness and sensitivity, improving ecological literacy, raising the awareness of harm that we cause to the nature and natural resources, instructing our essential needs and making us be conscious of consuming as much as we need, encouraging young generation to be an ecological person and reducing individual ecological footprint in order to contribute environmental sustainability.We believe that change starts with ourselves. But the solution is an ecosystemic integrity so we should change our lifestyles and have to take responsibilities as the whole World. Early education is the most effective way to become an ecological person and to carry out the objectives of the project and to leave a better world to the next generations. So the project will be carried out with pupils whose ages are between 10-15 and teachers from 5 countries such as Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Poland and Portugal. The project will last for two years, from September, 2016 to August, 2018. There will be five L/T/T activities which include 3R(reducing-reusing-recycling) and which will help to provide unique opportunities to learn ecological living practices for sustainability and use them in our daily life in the natural environment by observing, performing and sharing. Each school has an expert stakeholder related to ecology.In Greece, there will be a visit to an environmental education centre called “Lavrio” and a waste management activity will be done there in terms of ecology. Also learning how to make cloth bags instead of using plastic bags activity will take place.In Portugal, the first activity will be a visit to a wind farm that the pupils will realise the advantages of renewable energy sources. The second activity will be done in an organic farm that is based on the promotion of biodiversity in agricultural practices.In Poland, natural life awareness trip will be made to “Kampinoski Natural Park”. The second activity will be making organic fertilizer (compost) from household waste for using in the gardens. In Croatia, the first activity will be learning how to make a basket from corn husk. The second activity will be visiting their own school's fruit garden and teaching the pupils how to prune the trees. Also, the pupils will visit the Plitvice Lakes(UNESCO World Heritage) National Park.In Turkey, the ecovillage called “Tangala Goat Farm” will be visited for learning how to make cheese and yoghurt. As a final activit, there will be an organized festival called “Eco Fest” in which all the works of two - year project will be exhibited. Each mobility will be carried out with 4 pupils and 1 guide teacher from every countries. These mobility activities will be supported by in-school activities. These activities are arranged as follows: drawing and painting pictures, taking photos, recording videos and creating a logo, a poster, some slogans, leaflets, signs, skits and forming eco corners in schools, watching documentaries, sharing experiences, preparing an eco-dance performance at the “Eco Fest”. A project web site and student Facebook page will be created. Also the pupils will join group discussions at their schools on the topics of recycling, reducing, reusing, nature, natural resources and ecology.The most important expected impacts of the project are to increase ecological awareness and sensitivity and to improve ecological literacy. So to change the harming viewpoint about the nature in an effective and positive way, to show the significant roles of reducing individual ecological footprint.
All beings belong to nature and as human beings we are just a part of the nature.But we tend to consume more than we need and we destroy nature and its resources.The desire of excessive production and excessive consuming of human being and the destruction of nature and natural resources because of this desire made us to create our project called “I Am Being an Ecological Person” .The international term of destruction that we give to nature is "Ecological Footprint" that means deficit between the amount of natural sources and the world can supply it. Objectivies of the project were shaped under the title of 3Rs(Reducing-Reusing-Recycling).So the project is composed of the activities which are all about those titles. Our project presented us unique opportunities to reach the project results recognizing and experiencing nature and natural resources, principles and practices of the ecological living for sustainability,eco friendly behaviours,what ecological footprint is and its effects on the nature clearly so discoviring the ways of reducing our ecological footprint and living in harmony with nature and understanding the importance of renewable energy sources for the environmental sustainability and development under these objectives; to increase ecological awareness and sensitivity,improve ecological literacy, raise the awareness of destruction that we give to the nature and natural resources,instruct their essential needs our pupils and to make them conscious of consuming how much they need,show them the principles of ecological living,encourage our pupils about being an ecological person, ensure the pupils discover the ways of reducing individual ecological footprint in order to contribute a sustainable life,create cultural interaction among the pupils that will change and enlighten their viewpoint of the world,strengthen the feeling of team spirit and collaboration,improve the speaking skills of foreign languages of pupils and teachers. The project carried out with pupils aged between 10-15 and teachers from 4 countries,Turkey, Croatia, Greece and Poland.Four LTTs and three TPMs took place. In first LTT in Greece activities were on Waste Management and Renewable Energy Resources.The Centre of Environmental Education presented ways of waste management and the factory of recycling in Koropi that shows us all the stages of the procedure of recycling.Sunio, a place of archeological interest and of natural beauty, a bioclimatic building uses geothermal and photovoltaic systems, the cultural centre designed according to the principles of sustainability, Acropolis and the museum were visited.Making compost and olive oil soup workshops were done.In second LTT in Poland on organic farming,natural awareness and renewable energy resources.Workshops of making flowers from string, gardening, making compost and natural fertilizers using to bespatter fields,breeding eels,riding to forester’s house in Kuchary,ecological workshops in Kampinoski National Park,making butter,riding to Hydroelectric Power Station were the activities.In third LTT in Croatia activities were on sustainable life,natural awareness and organic farming.Pruning fruit trees, making apple strudels, workshop of corn husk baskets,presentations, workshops and visiting laboratories in Plitvice Lakes National Park,biogarden and household farming–apple products and water mill in Ivanec were the activities.The fourth LTT in Turkey was on ecological life,natural awareness and organic farming. Workshop of Marbling Art,making Pickle and flowerpots from water pipes and planting flowers,Eco-Survivor at the school, visiting Sea Turtles Research Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre(DEKAMER) in Dalyan for joining presentations and workshops, boat tour in Dalyan for observing reeds, marsh and water eco- system and visiting İztuzu Beach and Rock Tombs,the canyon Saklıkent National Park and Tlos antique city and the village,workshops of making cheese and yoghurt in Tangala Goat Farm,workshops in Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA) on cleaning seas and coastlines,Eco- festival where all the works of two project years presented by all partners at city centre of Fethiye were the activities in the fourth LTT.These mobilities were supported by in-school activities: drawing pictures, taking photos, recording videos and creating a logo,posters, some slogans, leaflets, signs, and forming eco corners in schools, watching documentaries, sharing experiences, preparing an eco-dance and rythym performance at the “Eco Fest”. A project web site was created.The pupils joined group discussions at their schools on the topics of 3Rs, nature, natural resources and ecology.The most important expected impacts of the project was to increase ecological awareness and sensitivity and to improved ecological literacy.So to change the harming viewpoint about the nature in an effective and positive way,to show the significant role of reducing individual ecological footprint.