Thousands of Children to Join Eden Project’s Live Lessons for Protecting Our Planet Day 2024

Interactive Learning from the Rainforest to Antarctica

On November 12th, thousands of schoolchildren across the UK will tune in for Protecting Our Planet Day 2024 (POP24), an international event led by the Eden Project. The live-streamed lessons aim to educate young minds on climate action and nature restoration, offering a unique opportunity to learn directly from experts stationed worldwide.

Connecting Classrooms to Global Ecosystems

POP24 will showcase immersive sessions hosted by experts from a range of locations, including the tropical Rainforest Biome at the Eden Project and the Antarctic seas, where researchers aboard the RSS Sir David Attenborough will join the livestream. Over 180,000 children joined last year’s sessions, which included discussions on climate solutions and biodiversity protection.

Participants can look forward to lessons that not only dive deep into rainforest ecosystems but also spotlight the critical roles of mangroves, coconut palms, coffee, and bamboo in supporting the planet’s health. The Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome, which drew 20,000 students in 2023, offers primary students a virtual field trip covering the importance of tropical rainforests in combating climate change, despite the fact they cover only 2-3% of the world’s surface.

Robbie Kirkman, lead of the Eden Project’s education team, expressed the project’s mission: “As an educational charity, connecting people with nature is fundamentally at the heart of what we do, so it’s incredible to be able to connect tens of thousands of school children around the UK with our Rainforest Biome here in Cornwall.”

Highlighting the critical state of rainforests, Robbie noted that “an area the size of our Rainforest Biome (or two football pitches) is lost every 11 seconds to deforestation.” The lesson aims to inspire children to feel empowered to help protect these valuable habitats.

Wildflowers and Biodiversity for Secondary Students

Secondary school students will gain insight into the importance of wildflower meadows, which help sustain biodiversity across the UK but have dwindled by 97% since the 1930s. The Eden Project’s National Wildflower Centre will lead these sessions from the geothermally-heated Growing Point nursery, educating participants on the creation and benefits of wildflower meadows. Students will also receive practical guidance on establishing their own wildflower patches at school or home.

A Collaborative Global Effort

POP24 is a collaborative effort between the Eden Project, the UK Space Education Office (ESERO-UK) at STEM Learning, and the European and UK Space Agencies. Through this initiative, students will connect with “mission control” experts at the European Space Agency, adding an inspiring outer space dimension to the day’s events.

To learn more about POP24 and register for the Eden Project’s live lessons, educators can visit www.stem.org.uk/enrichment/protecting-our-planet-day.