Context and background of project Wild Nature is a small social enterprise that develops and delivers a range of nature-based practice workshops and trainings and which is committed to contributing to the regeneration of its own local communities and to helping create a more life affirming, equitable and sustainable world. Objectives of project "European Wild Nature" aims to support Wild Nature to significantly increase the impact, effectiveness and outreach of its work by supporting the organisation with the capacity it needs to be able to meet its wider aims. It will do this by: - learning from and collaborating with european partners to share good practice and benefit a diversity of european learners; - significantly increase the quality and attractiveness of its trainings to be better placed to inspire and empower its learners and meet it widers aims; - coherently support its team of trainers to enhance their effectiveness as educators and enable them to better secure paid employment. Number and profile of participants This project will involve 18 Wild Nature trainers travelling to Col·lectiu Eco-Actiu in Spain to each participate in or co-facilitate a residential training at their land-based education centre high up in a wild and remote part of the Catalunyan Pyrenees. Participants in this project are all nature-based trainers delivering workshops and trainings that inspire and empower their diversity of learners to become more active citizens passionate about regenerating their communities and creating a more life affirming, equitable and sustainable world by connecting more deeply with the natural world. Participants are all skilled and experienced in a range of nature-based practices and are passionate about continually developing themselves to be better placed to deliver on their mission and values. Half the participants face economic obstacles and are currently delivering workshops on a voluntary basis as a means to increasing their skills and experience to be able to secure paid employment. They are all passionate about their trainings reaching and benefiting disadvantaged learners and have first hand experience as to how deepening our connection with the natural world can transform our lives. Description of activities Between September 2014 and June 2015 participants will travel to Col·lectiu Eco-Actiu in Spain to participate in one of the following residential trainings: - The Wanderers - Wild Camp - Meeting the Wild - Nature based practice Train the Trainer Two participants will also co-facilitate Wild Camp in Spring 2015. Methodology An Action-Learning methodology will be used throughout this project to ensure that preparation, delivery, monitoring and evaluation are fully embedded within the context of a coherent reflective learning process. We will also be using a collaborative and participatory methodolgy that involves both partner organisations, participants and learners / target groups all playing an active role within this Action-Learning process. We are committed to a learner-led methodolgy that ensures that all our educational work is inspired and informed by the genuine needs of our target groups. We will also embed an 'art of mentoring' methodology to ensure participant learning and the impact of this project are maximised. Description of envisaged results and impact We envisage this project to provide Wild Nature with the necessary capacity to bring about a significant step change in its development and outreach work. In the short and medium term this will include increased capacity, ability and experience to collaborate and deliver at a european level; increased social capital both locally and at a european level; enhanced quality, attractiveness, effectiveness and outreach of Wild Nature trainings, especially to disadvantaged learners across Europe; and increased employability of Wild Nature trainers and its learners. Longer term benefits We envisage this step change in Wild Nature's educational work to manifest in a significant increase in the amount and quality of nature-based educational practice work both in the UK and across Europe. We envisage that those already delivering nature-based practice education will become better networked and will be working collaboratively across Europe to develop and deliver a joined up long term strategy aiming to inspire and motivate nature inspired active citizenship. We also envisage nature-based educational activities to become inherent within a much wider range of trainings and workshops that currently do not include this nature based medium and methodology. Moreover, in the long term we envisage this project resulting in significantly more people across Europe becoming active citizens inspired and empowered through their growing connection with the natural world. We truly believe this project will help create a more life affirming, equitable and sustainable world.