SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and TRADITIONAL REMEDIES

1st Learning, Teaching and Training Activity in the Czech Republic

Our first meeting focus was on Agriculture and Natural Remedies. In order to better understand the notion and the significance of sustainability in these fields, this activity included the following tasks:

1. collecting seeds that are typical from each of our regions and presenting them in plenum in order to identify their names,uses and health benefits

2. collecting herbs that are typical from each of our regions and presenting them in plenum in order to identify their names,uses and health benefits

3. growing fruit and vegetables in an organic garden at each school in order to create a documentary film about organic cultivation practices, which are sustainable

4. documenting on the spas and balneology sites in each country;
5. documenting on traditional remedies from each country
6. preparing a workshop on massage and healing exercise by a Czech therapist

The products of this activity which were shared at the first meeting included the following:
a) seed bags, seed bombs tea bags with herbs and other typical natural agricultural products from each region with names and benefits
b) photo documentation of growing plants in our organic gardens at the schools;
c) presentations on balneology and spa centres 
d) presentations of the typical agricultural goods and traditional remedies in each of our countries;
f) the 'Doctor Nature' role play performed as a follow-up to the meeting promoting the common traditional remedies across our countries

Within the scope of the activity, the Czech school team arranged the following visits:

• a visit to a local farm where our students were enthusiastic to see the farm animals and have a hands-on-experience of manufacturing their own soap, candles and chocolate in the most sustainable way
• a visit to the local public oven where we made and baked our own delicious bread and enjoyed weaving our own baskets and sculpting our own pots
• a visit to a local museum of sustainable living where our students could see how people lived without technology and got familiar with the idea of sustainable farming and cooking, clothing, carpeting etc.
• a workshop on Acral Therapy; a special physiotherapeutical technique developed by a Czech expert

All visits and workshops were not only very relevant to our project aims but also very inspiring as regards following a career in sustainable farming and manufacturing local products in the traditional ways as well as considering becoming a physiotherapist.

Beyond the scope of this activity, the host school arranged a guided tour in Prague for the guest participants addressing various environmental and cultural aspects; natural sites, historical and religious monuments, traditional entertainment etc