The dissemination of geoscience education through geoparks and geosites: the SOLE (Social Open Learning Environment) Erasmus+ project

The global community is facing a variety of pivotal challenges such as sustainable development, global climate change and natural hazards: these require the development of policies and actions to prevent a rapid deterioration of our planet’s conditions in the near future. An increase in awareness of the role of Geosciences, at all levels of society, is essential to face such challenges and to formulate common global policies leading to sustainable behaviours. The SOLE project’s goal is to create a friendly environment to share scientific knowledge with the general adult population as well as secondary schools and university students. The Associazione Il Geco, within the SOLE framework, is developing multimedia content for the dissemination of geoscience knowledge and environmental awareness. Il Geco aims to involve people culturally but also emotionally with some of the following approaches: a. Emphasis on a close connection between a population with its territory, b. The presence in the territory of the community of Geoparks, Natural Parks and geosites, c. Concepts of geotourism, d. Formal educational activities within schools. The Il Geco program identified three test areas in Italy and Greece that are favourable for the development of the project. The first area is the UNESCO Val Sesia Val Grande Geopark, in Piedmont. Val Grande is the largest wilderness area in the Italian Alps and exposes on easily accessible paths a variety of geological themes, such as a cross section from the moho to the intermediate continental crust and the contact between the Alps s.s. and the South-alpine domain. Val Sesia hosts a number of geosites and important geological formations (deep crustal rocks and “moho” outcrops). Several geosites are related to the Ivrea Verbano mafic-ultramafic complex. This Geopark has a well-developed network of products and activities for geotourism, but needs more integrated activities to involve school and university students. The second area is the preAlpine environment within Varese district that hosts the Campo dei Fiori Regional Natural Park. There is no Geopark, and geotouristic activities, although present, are not highly developed. Geologic features include glacial geomorphology, Permian lava quarries, active travertine sites, karstic landscapes, and a great number of abandoned mines. The third area is the Grevena-Tethys Geopark in the Pindos (Northern Greece), at present an applicant for UNESCO European Geopark Network membership. This Geopark neighbours the UNESCO world heritage site of Meteora. The Grevena-Tethys area hosts valuable geotouristic attractions, as well comprising some of the “founding sites” of plate tectonic theory (the Vourinos Ophiolite Complex). Meteora is the second most visited touristic attraction of Greece, with a unique landscape of conglomerate pinnacles. These geological sites will be studied by students in Earth Sciences with supervision by regional expert scientists: they will produce geotouristic itineraries that will be presented in English, Italian, German, Spanish and French, and each will be accompanied by a presentation video. These itineraries will be integrated into educational activities for school and university use. The final products will be shared for free in specially developed SOLE social networks and websites.