GeoCamp Iceland at the YouthTrails Academy in Greece

In October, representatives from GeoCamp Iceland took part in the YouthTrails Academy for Ecotourism in Athens and Hopeland, Greece — a three-day transnational workshop bringing together partners from across Europe to explore new ways of engaging young people in sustainable tourism and environmental education.

The Academy formed part of the Erasmus+ YouthTrails project, which aims to strengthen youth participation in sustainable tourism through education, creativity, and cross-sectoral cooperation. The project, coordinated by Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, runs from 2024 to 2027 and involves partners from Iceland, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, and Italy.

GeoCamp Iceland, as the service provider of educational development and outreach for the geopark, plays an active role in the project’s implementation — developing educational modules, field activities, and learning tools that connect geoscience, culture, and sustainability.

Hands-on Learning

The YouthTrails Academy in Greece brought together all partner organisations for a combination of workshops, presentations, and field visits. Representing Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir, Project Manager for Educational Outreach at GeoCamp Iceland, and Arnbjörn Ólafsson, Managing Director of GeoCamp Iceland and board member of the Geopark, contributed actively throughout the event.

On the opening day, Reykjanes Geopark led the module Ecotourism Fundamentals and Sustainability Principles, developed by GeoCamp Iceland. The session introduced interactive learning activities such as Biodiversity Bingo and the Carbon Footprint Travel Challenge, both designed to help youth workers teach sustainability through experience and reflection. “We wanted to show how simple, creative methods can inspire young people to understand their connection to the environment,” said Sigrún.

The day also featured modules by partners Adamastor and SMARTUP, focusing on innovative ecotourism models and digital communication tools, rounding out a rich exchange of methods and ideas for non-formal education in sustainability.

Field-Based Inspiration in Hopeland

The second day of the Academy was spent in Hopeland, an educational eco-community near Argos, where participants learned about regenerative living, permaculture, and rural development. The group explored how local initiatives combine ecological awareness with social innovation and community empowerment — principles closely aligned with GeoCamp Iceland’s own approach to outdoor learning in the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The groups also visited The Little Owl, a local eco-entrepreneurship initiative linking agriculture, education, and tourism. The experience reinforced the project’s emphasis on connecting people to place through authentic experiences. 

Mapping the Future of Ecotourism Education

The final day focused on refining training materials and planning the next phase of YouthTrails. Partners MaMa (Slovenia) and Polygonal (Italy) presented modules on educational programme development and funding strategies, while Hopeland and SMARTUP led a creative workshop on Youth Ecotourism Maps.

These maps, to be co-created by young people in each partner region, will combine digital storytelling, visual design, and environmental data to highlight sustainable destinations and youth-led ecotourism initiatives. The partners also piloted the Green Advisor Tool to evaluate the environmental impact of their own meeting, demonstrating the project’s commitment to modelling the practices it teaches.

Looking ahead, GeoCamp Iceland and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark will continue developing educational materials, lesson plans, and digital content that promote ecotourism as a bridge between youth learning, community development, and sustainability.

About the Project
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YouthTrails (2024–2027) is an Erasmus+ cooperation partnership focused on youth engagement, ecotourism, and sustainability. The project is led by Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark with the focus on developing a Youth Ecotourism Label (YEL!), a training toolbox for youth workers, and interactive ecotourism maps co-created by young people across Europe.