This student-led project responded to the devastating wildfires of 2021 in Northern Evia, Greece. It aimed to link environmental recovery with civic engagement and sustainability education. Developed in collaboration with the NGO ΚΑΛΛΙΣΤΩ (Callisto), the initiative engaged students from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in a multi-phase intervention including fieldwork, participatory reforestation, educational outreach, and community engagement.

The project supported SDGs 13 (Climate Action), 15 (Life on Land), and 4 (Quality Education) by involving students in planting native species, co-creating educational materials for local schools, and organising a public exhibition event. It combined experiential learning, technical skill-building, and social-emotional development in a real-world context.

Challenge
The project tackled the urgent ecological and social challenge of reforesting fire-damaged land in Northern Evia. It focused on enhancing local resilience, raising environmental awareness, and fostering intergenerational learning. SDGs 13, 15, and 4 were central to the design.

Target Groups:

• Direct beneficiaries: 14 university students from education and environmental science faculties.

• Indirect beneficiaries: local communities affected by wildfires, primary and secondary schoolchildren in Evia, and environmental NGOs engaged in reforestation and education.

Solution
Students engaged in site visits, soil and ecological assessments, participatory reforestation, and educational resource creation. The project fostered direct action, civic engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration, equipping students to design and communicate sustainability solutions tailored to local needs.

Innovation
The project blended scientific fieldwork with creative educational outputs, integrating community voices and student-led action. Its strength lay in its ability to transform a traumatic environmental event into a collaborative, educational, and regenerative learning experience rooted in place-based learning.

Impact
The project blended scientific fieldwork with creative educational outputs, integrating community voices and student-led action. Its strength lay in its ability to transform a traumatic environmental event into a collaborative, educational, and regenerative learning experience rooted in place-based learning.

This student project is submitted through:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
It involved 14 students from the Faculty of Education and School of Forestry and Natural Environment.

Project poster: Download Here