SIGA: Seniors in Green Action
At the Ormož Adult Education Center, we have joined the Erasmus KA2 project "Seniors in Green Action," led by the Narodno učilište, ustanova za obrazovanje i kulturu v Reki, Croatia. The project partners include Dorea Educational Institute WTF from Cyprus, Studio Naturalistico Hyla s.r.l. from Italy, Education In Progress from Spain, and the Ljudska univerza Ormož from Slovenia.
The goal of the SIGA (Seniors in Green Action) project is to develop an educational program for older adults on the use of medicinal wild plants, with an emphasis on preserving the habitats of these plants for environmental protection and natural balance. Through the developed program, we will educate older adults on how to properly harvest wild plants and use them to make various herbal preparations for maintaining health and preventing diseases.
With the implementation of the project, we aim to enable people over 54 years old to actively participate in society, spend quality time in nature, learn, and acquire new skills that are useful in everyday life in a simple and interesting way. Demographic trends in EU countries show a rapid aging of the European population, making it essential for the older population to engage in lifelong learning, where they will acquire new skills and specific knowledge important for environmental protection, thereby contributing to community progress while realizing their potential for learning and useful activities. Additionally, older adults have an increased need to maintain health, which becomes more fragile with age. This project will provide them with valuable knowledge on using the medicinal properties of wild plants to achieve good health, longevity, and a better quality of life.
An important impact will also be achieved in terms of strengthening the competencies of teachers. We aim to empower the teaching staff, who conduct educational programs in adult education institutions, to develop a green mindset, daily work, and educational activities. By implementing the project, we will enable lecturers to include a mini-curriculum on sustainability and environmental protection in their programs, which will become an integral part of the educational programs they teach in their institutions. This way, both lecturers and participants will become active participants in achieving a higher level of ecological awareness in society.
The key results to be achieved with the implementation of the SIGA project are:
Development of the "Home Herbal Pharmacy" program, which will include a mini-curriculum on sustainability and environmental protection,
Development of a handbook with recipes for preparations from medicinal wild plants,
A digital platform with e-learning materials, which we will develop in collaboration with partners.
An accompanying result will be the achievement of green business practices in partner organizations.
An educational program on the use of medicinal plants for the elderly was tested
As part of Siga project we successfully carried out educational program for the elderly, focusing on the use of medicinal plants while emphasizing the importance of preserving the natural habitats of these plants. The participants gained new knowledge and skills related to plant-based healing, while also raising awareness about environmental protection and sustainability. They were actively engaged with society, while spending quality time in nature. Participants acquired valuable knowledge about medicinal plants, while also developing a sense of responsibility for preserving the natural world.
In the 40-hour program, participants created a variety of products that they can use in their home apothecary, including tinctures, syrups, teas and herbal blends, oil macerates, and other ointments. These results were the direct outcome of the hands-on activities, and participants gained valuable knowledge on how to make these products on their own in the future.
They also learned about the correct choice of packaging for these products and were introduced to the essential tools required for making ointments, tinctures, and oil macerates. The program provided them with the skills and confidence to continue using and producing these natural remedies at home.
The Home Herbal Pharmacy program was piloted in five partner countries: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Cyprus. 60 participants over 54 all from five partner countries carried out multiple activities outdoors and indoors. Specially guided outdoor excursions provided participants with knowledge about wild plants, their habitats and ecological impact on the environment.
The article was written by Ana Kaučič and Lucija Van Cauteren Čačković who work on implementing Siga project at Ljudska univerza Ormož.
