Empowering Local Communities Through Targeted Training Events

Co-designing and developing innovative solutions for nature restoration in coastal and marine environments across the diverse conditions of the Atlantic-Arctic basin is a challenging undertaking. Training events are critical to this effort, serving as a foundation for both project partners and local communities, fostering a collaborative approach to learning and solution development.

Over the last year and a half, numerous project-level training events have been organised. The sessions in Kiel, Cork, and Faro, where project partners collaborated to develop and refine key project concepts, are particularly noteworthy. These include Living Labs, Communities of Practice, innovation definitions, scaling, and gamification. Basic training on how to implement these concepts was provided, establishing a common framework for all DEMOs while still allowing for flexibility to adapt to local contexts.

Left: Local Training Events held in June 2024 / Right: Stakeholders Meeting February 2023

Significantly, several local training events have been conducted within the DEMO areas themselves, actively involving local communities. In Portugal, for instance, a training event on Habitat Mapping: From Science and Policy Needs to Solutions was organized in May 2024. This event provided valuable insights into habitat mapping and its practical applications (more information can be found here: Habitat Mapping Workshop). Similarly, in Ireland, events with a training focus were held, such as the workshop on fuzzy cognitive mapping in December 2023, which addressed coastal erosion challenges, and meetings in May 2023 to discuss and train for the deployment of CoastSnap technology at Youghal and Pilmore.

Local Training Events – Faro Meeting

As DEMOs and other project activities evolve, particularly with the recent addition of new Associated Regions, more training events are planned. These sessions will be critical in empowering communities and project partners to collaborate on environmental challenges. Stay tuned for details on upcoming training opportunities! 📅🌍🚀