Vigie-Nature École: educating younger generations about biodiversity
Vigie-Nature École is a participatory science programme designed for schools. By observing ordinary biodiversity, students collect data for researchers and become familiar with the environment.
The presence around us of snails, birds, insects and wild flora is a valuable indicator of so-called “ordinary” biodiversity. And yet, everyone can be an observer of this nature all around us. This is why the National Museum of Natural History in Paris has launched the Vigie-Nature École initiative for schools: by rigorously following observation protocols, classes collect data on different species which are then exploited by researchers.
As part of its Biodiversity & Ecosystems programme, the Fondation d’Entreprise Hermès has been supporting this educational project dedicated to the living world since 2019: in learning about it, future generations will want to preserve it. Accessible to all levels from primary through to secondary school, the Vigie-Nature École protocols invite students to conduct a scientific experiment in a fun way while reconnecting with nature.
Over the 2020-2021 school year, despite a delicate public health situation, 300 classes carried out 1,874 observation sessions throughout France, representing a great deal of useful data for researchers to refine their knowledge on ordinary biodiversity. The students are proud to contribute to a comprehensive scientific approach, which combines the wonder of rediscovering nature with education around environmental issues. Together, they have become “observer-actors”.