| Topic |
Understanding and Experiencing Nature Through Sight, Smell, Hearing, Taste, and Touch, communication, inclusion |
| Duration |
3 hours |
| Location |
Nature trails or parks with access to natural elements like trees, plants, and herbs |
| Target group |
The general public (families, young people 15–30 years old, adults 45+ years old), activists |
| Group size |
30 participants (mixed generations, 15 young people aged 12–30, 15 older adults aged 50+) |
| Human resources |
Coordinator (1), herbal expert (1), volunteers (3) |
| Spatial requirements |
Nature trail or park with open spaces for creating collages, access to natural herbs, trees, and fruit-bearing plants |
| Required material |
- Maps
- Role-play cards with character descriptions
- Compasses
- Markers for “landmarks”
- Walkie-talkies for safety
- First aid kit
|
| Objectives |
- Foster an appreciation for nature through immersive sensory experiences.
- Encourage intergenerational collaboration by comparing results from young and older participants.
- Promote mindfulness and awareness of the natural environment using all five senses.
- Understanding disabilities.
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| Description |
This methodology is designed to help participants connect with nature using their five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Participants will explore how different generations experience the natural world through sensory-focused exercises. Each exercise will involve younger and older participants, encouraging intergenerational comparisons and discussing how senses shape our experiences.
Preparation and Beginning of the Event: The coordinator welcomes participants and splits them into pairs: one young person and one older adult. The coordinator explains that the goal is for them to use their senses to explore nature and reflect on how they perceive the natural world. Each exercise focuses on a different sense, and the results from younger participants will be compared to those from older participants to encourage discussion about how sensory experiences differ across generations.
Exercises:
- Exercise 1: Sight – Creating a Landscape Collage
Objective: Encourage participants to use their sense of sight to represent the natural landscape visually.
Description: Participants are tasked with gathering natural materials (such as leaves, flowers, stones, etc.) and using them to create a landscape collage. Each pair works individually but can discuss their choices and what they see in nature. The young and older participants compare their final collages to see how their visual perception of nature differs.
- Exercise 2: Smell – Recognizing Aromatic Herbs
Objective: Engage participants’ sense of smell by identifying different aromatic herbs.
Description: Participants place an aromatic herb from nature (such as rosemary, mint, or sage) in a paper bag. After mixing the bags, each participant must recognize their chosen herb by smelling it. The young and older participants compare how well they could identify herbs and discussed whether smell perception differs across generations.
- Exercise 3: Hearing – Drawing What You Hear
Objective: Use participants’ sense of hearing to create visual interpretations of the sounds in nature.
Description: Participants sit quietly in a natural space and listen to the sounds around them (birds, wind, water, etc.). They are asked to draw what they hear and indicate the direction of the sounds. Afterward, participants compare their drawings, discussing what they heard and how they interpreted the sounds.
- Exercise 4: Taste – Guessing the Flavor of Natural Foods
Objective: Challenge participants’ sense of taste by identifying the flavor of herbal tea or fruits.
Description: An expert in foraging or herbalism will provide participants with fruit or tea made from plants found in the area. Blindfolded, participants taste the items and try to guess the flavor. Younger and older participants compare their ability to identify the taste and discuss how taste perception varies between generations.
- Exercise 5: Touch – Identifying Trees by Feel
Objective: Encourage participants to use their sense of touch to explore and identify trees.
Description: One participant from each pair is blindfolded and led by their partner to a tree. The blindfolded participant uses their hands to feel the tree’s surface, trying to memorize its texture. After returning to the starting point and removing the blindfold, the participant searches for the same tree based on touch alone. The pair discusses how touch helped them connect with nature, and the younger and older participants reflect on their sensory experiences.
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| Questions |
- How did the younger and older participants experience each sense differently?
- Were there any surprises in how you used your senses in nature?
- What did you learn from the other generation about perceiving nature?
- Which sense was the most challenging during the exercises, and why?
- How can these sensory exercises deepen your appreciation for the environment and foster mindfulness?
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| Useful (additional) information |
- Share follow-up resources on sensory awareness and mindfulness in nature, along with tips for using these exercises in everyday outdoor activities. Participants may also receive suggestions for how to continue practicing mindfulness and sensory engagement during their own hikes or nature experiences.
|
| Evaluation |
- How well did the exercises engage your five senses?
- Did you notice differences in sensory perception between generations?
- Which exercise helped you connect most deeply with nature?
- What did you learn from working with someone from a different generation?
- How can sensory awareness contribute to environmental protection and mindfulness?
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