Article on Biosphere Reserves in the Ecosystems and People

Written by researchers from the Center for Functional Ecology (CFE) at the University of Coimbra, this study reports an activity to map Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP), carried out with more than 500 schoolchildren from the 12 Portuguese Biosphere Reserves.

The children’s perceptions of the NCPs in their territories were also collected, revealing that the most frequently represented themes were emblematic and endemic species, especially mammals – a sign of the strong bond between children and the natural heritage that surrounds them.

This work underlines the importance of involving younger generations in raising environmental awareness and valuing their ecological and cultural roots. By integrating playful and creative activities into educational contexts, Biosphere Reserves have established themselves as privileged spaces for strengthening the emotional and conscious bond between communities and nature.