Texel: September 2022 new en next exchange.

05/09/2022

Excursion with the guide, nature-specialist and made more than 10K photos of birds!

The last week of September the next exchange will take place on Texel. While the first exchange was organised in 2006 and a lot has changed, the basics remain the same: focusing on photography and meeting current themes. A few current themes the Dutch and Polish pupils will learn about are the Wadden Sea and the status of Natura 2000 are. A current question will be discussed: what will happen to birds when gas is produced under the Wadden Sea? Another current theme is climate change, the pupils will be able to see the changes and learn more about the effects of this change in nature.

Some specific places the pupils will explore are the Slufter, the Hors and Plassendaal (nature focused farm). These locations are chosen due to their variety in nature. The Slufter and the Hors will focus on the sea and the dunes. On Plassendaal the pupils will learn more about farming but with a biological perspective. At last, the pupils will visit the forest and will learn more about it. Some questions that will be discussed are about the importance of forest in general, why some are against cutting down trees or for Texel in specific: why it changed from pine trees to deciduous trees.

The general program of the exchange will remain the same. Throughout the day the pupils will explore the island Texel together with their cameras. The daily excursions will have a theme to challenge the pupils to look at nature differently or reflect on what they are seeing. At the end of the day, the pupils will go through their photos and choose their favourite one. In the evening a presentation is organised where the pupils present their chosen photo and explain what can be seen.

That happy face is because we work together :https://www.eurosite.org/ https://www.jtc-roosendaal.nl/ https://www.eurosite.org/members/society-for-the-coast-eucc-poland/ https://stepnica.pl/ https://holag.eu/

WYPSN this year at the Baltic Sea

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28/03/2025

Ten Polish students, ten Dutch students, cameras, lessons about nature in nature, and getting to know other cultures. For nearly twenty years, the We Young People See Nature exchange project has been about new friendships and fresh insights into nature. This year is no different. However, there is a new location: the Polish village of W Sosnowym Lesie, just 120 metres from the Baltic Sea. The new week starts on 6 April.

WE Young People See Nature (WYPSN) is an exchange project for 15- 17 years old high school students. They use a camera to learn to look at nature in all kinds of ways. Everything that grows, creeps, breathes and blooms – and more is considered nature. In city, field or forest. By looking at it in a different way, young people discover that nature isn’t boring at all.

Erosion
From 6 to 11 April, WYPSN will settle in W Sosnowym Lesie, which translates as ‘ In Pine Forest’. Almost on the Baltic Sea. It is a very special area, known for its beauty and sometimes rugged nature. It is also a place where the effects of global warming and climate change are unmistakable. Take, for example, the ruins of a church: once standing more than 300 metres from the sea, it has now almost completely disappeared.

A project that has been trying to convey the importance and beauty of nature to future generations for twenty years cannot ignore climate change. Since its launch in 2006, it has been an integral part of the programme. Whether it is the effects of gas extraction beneath the Dutch Wadden Sea or coastal erosion in Poland, the causes and dangers of a warming planet are a recurring topic of discussion.

Daily presentations
These might just be the most enjoyable presentations the students will ever give – the daily photography presentations. Every evening, they showcase their favourite and best photos, explaining why they find them beautiful. On the first day, it is often a little nerve-wracking. But as the students are encouraged to give each other positive feedback, the nerves quickly fade, while the applause and their confidence grow.

Counting down to the new start on Texel

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When autumn is in the air, it has meant since 2006 that a new cohort of WE is about to begin.

15/09/2024

WE Young People See 2024/2025 is about to begin. After practising extensively with their cameras at home, it’s almost time for the first exchange with the new group. At the end of September, ten Dutch and ten Polish students will meet on the island of Texel.

WE Young People See Nature is an exchange project for 15 to 17-year-olds. They use cameras to learn how to observe nature. By looking at it from a different perspective, young people discover that nature is far from boring. The project has been running since 2006. Year after year, students learn not only to appreciate nature through the lens of a camera but also to appreciate each other, no matter how different they may be.

A project about nature and people never stands alone. Outdoors, you engage with biology, history, society, geography, and much more. Through conversation, you practise not only the common language of English but also how to connect with young people from entirely different backgrounds. Every evening, the photos must be presented, and even the most nervous participants manage to overcome their fear of presenting. The students help and support each other, with guidance from teachers and experts, of course.

The first introduction of the new group will take place on Texel, where students and teachers will spend almost a week immersed in the unique nature of the Wadden Islands. The expected results? Thousands of photos, new insights, and unlikely friendships. After this? A week in Poland, of course! That will be in June 2025.

Looking for more information about the project? Click here!
Want to know more about the organisation? Check here!

Poland !!

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We are ready for the next exchange in Poland. The start of the week is 2 June 2024. The place to be is Czarnocin, we stay at Gumis. Society for the Coast made a lovely program with nice tours in the fields of Czarnocin. The students are already packing ! The camera must be in good condition, the battery full.

NEXT EXCHANGE : SOON !!!

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Texel: the place for the next exchange in April 2022

The program is ready, the students are almost ready, the next exchange will be on Texel. We are going to take photos, visit the Hors ( new land), the Slufter ( Natura2000), the Waddensea ( and walk on the seabed of course) and visit Plassendaal ( farm/ nature). We will talk about the landscape, usage of the land, gas-winning /gas extraction( and effects) and relations in Europe.