On October 3, the Lithuanian Sea Museum’s Dolphin Therapy Center team, together with an educator from the Curonian Spit National Park and students from the Rainbow Path Gymnasium representing Ukraine, Australia, Germany, and Lithuania, set out on a hike along the Smiltynė seaside.

For some students, this was their very first encounter with the sea – children joyfully ran along the shore, collected seashells, and shared the excitement of discovery. During the hike, an educational activity was held: dune formation and decoration with natural resources, encouraging creativity, environmental awareness, and collaboration.

The educator shared insights about the history of dune formation in Smiltynė, as well as the local plant and animal populations; not only the guests, but also the Lithuanian Sea Museum team learned something new.

Not even language barriers stood in the way of the activities – although the students came from different countries, they found a common language through gestures, facial expressions, smiles, and creative solutions, which allowed them to communicate, cooperate, and successfully carry out the planned tasks together.

This initiative is part of the international project “Youth Going Back to Nature – Engage, Connect, Empower (YGBN)”, funded by the Erasmus+ program. The project brings together partners from Lithuania, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, and Bulgaria, with the aim of encouraging a return to nature, strengthening emotional well-being, and creating inclusive outdoor activities for people with disabilities.

The project “Youth Going Back to Nature – Engage, Connect, Empower” (No. 2022-2-BG01-KA220-YOU-000098776) is implemented under the EU Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 2 – Cooperation Partnerships.

All activities developed within the project, along with their descriptions, are freely available on the online portal: https://outdoorportal.eu/