An entertaining and educational day lay ahead for the group of schoolchildren from Innsbruck. The participants came from a school class and were aged between 12 and 13. The participation of pupils with a migrant background also fulfilled one of the central aims of Climate Hikes, namely the conscious inclusion of socially disadvantaged groups.

Together with experts from the Austrian Federal Forestry Office (ÖBf), we hiked for around three hours through a species-rich mixed forest to explore the diverse interactions between forests and climate change. The group was divided into two smaller groups to allow for more intensive discussions and more space for individual questions.

During the hike, we discussed the central role of forests in our society, such as their function as CO₂ reservoirs, protective barriers and habitats. At the same time, we addressed the challenges posed by climate change, such as the increasing spread of the spruce bark beetle and the resulting ecological consequences.

The event concluded with a joint summary in which we emphasised the importance of consciously dealing with changes to our environment. After all, only those who understand current developments can actively contribute to overcoming global challenges.

During the hike, many exciting discussions arose, and the students' interest in topics such as sustainable forest management and forest protection was palpable.

The methods used for this Climate Hike can be found in the Climate Hike Training Material and all worked very well with this age group, except for the game ‘Shifting the Baseline,’ which was initially challenging because the participants themselves did not really have a historical perspective. However, by involving the teachers in the discussion, this also worked very well in the end!