The main objective of the project was to increase awareness of environmental protection and the issues leading to the exploitation of the natural environment. A cross-curricular approach was used to create a trilingual herbarium of selected plants. The project gave pupils an opportunity to use English as their main form of communication. During the programme, pupils studied wild plants, visited national parks and botanic gardens, attended workshops in scientifi c and educational institutions, learned to classify plants and studied the use of the plants they chose for their own herbarium. The project expanded their scientifi c knowledge and practical skills, helped them acquire basic foreign language skills from other participants and fostered fl uency in English as a second language. Students also increased their computer skills by using the latest information and communication technology to plan, develop, realise and record their work. They also documented the project using digital photographs, CD presentations, videos and a project website. During the exchanges, pupils and teachers from Poland and Italy experienced European cooperation fi rst-hand. Students worked together in groups and had to use their foreign language skills to cooperate and carry out the assigned tasks. Face-to-face contact also allowed them to establish close, lasting relationships with foreign students. This increased their social skills, instilled selfconfi dence, developed intercultural understanding and promoted their autonomy as learners. However, organising the exchanges was no easy task. The Italian school ran into some diffi culties while preparing for the trip to Wroclaw. Several Italian parents were hesitant to send their children abroad and four students who had played an active role in preparing for the exchange were ultimately not allowed to travel to Poland. The parents changed their tune, however, when the other students returned from Poland. Their reports were so enthusiastic that even the most hesitant parents changed their opinion of the programme. Now, both schools have numerous requests from parents as well as students asking to be involved in future Comenius partnerships.