This ESP initiative aims to integrate ecosystem services (ESs) research into education to co-develop a people- and nature-positive future. Educational focus lays on pre-, primary and high schools but beyond that, the developing content will also be tailored to a variety of professionals, including in urban development.
The group will also serve as a knowledge exchange and co-creation platform, combining ES theory, digital innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to foster practical, transdisciplinary impact.
Initiators/Lead team
Katharina Hecht (Utrecht University)
Luis Inostroza (Mendel University)
Long-Term Goals
- Environmental education as core component in schools and professional practice
The long-term vision of this working group is to embed ESs into environmental education from an early age. The “Ecosystem Services for Kids” modules will be tailored to different age groups and designed to spark curiosity and understanding of how ecosystems support human life. Activities will include hands-on explorations of ecological processes, interactive lessons connecting ESs to food systems and daily life, and design-thinking workshops where children co-create visions for sustainable futures. These workshops not only engage children creatively, but also invite them to reflect on the role of nature in their lives and communities. The outputs—such as drawings, models, or ideas—can serve as valuable insights into youth perspectives on sustainability. By integrating such programs into science, geography, or environmental studies curricula and museum outreach, the initiative aims to cultivate a generation that values ecosystem resilience and is equipped to contribute to a more sustainable world.
In addition to its application in the built environment, the urban ESs platform can/should be adapted as an educational tool across a variety of audiences, including pre-, primary, and high school students, as well as citizens interested in ESs. Tailored modules and interactive interfaces will allow learners of different ages and backgrounds to explore how ecosystems and human well-being are interconnected, emphasizing the broader concept of ESs beyond urban design.
In schools, both the “Ecosystem Services for Kids” modules as well as the adapted platform can also be integrated into science, geography, and environmental studies curricula to foster ecological literacy from an early age. Public-facing components will include accessible explanations, visualizations, and participatory activities to increase awareness and engagement. Over the long term, this approach aims to contribute to embedding ESs knowledge as a core component of education and professional practice, cultivating a society that values and actively supports ecosystem resilience and sustainability.
- Environmental education in the building sector
The long-term vision of the learning and educational platform of urban ESs is to establish a globally recognized knowledge and engagement hub that supports the mainstreaming of ESs thinking into the design of sustainable and regenerative urban environments. By fostering long-term collaboration across sectors, the group aims to:
– Support public awareness campaigns and interactive exhibits that illustrate the value of ESs in the built environment.
– Integrate ESs literacy into university curricula for architecture, urban planning, ecology, and environmental sciences.
– Co-develop training programs for professionals in the building and real estate sectors.
– Offer policy support and briefing tools for local, national, and EU-level governments to help integrate ESs into building codes, urban policy frameworks, and sustainability reporting requirements.
This long-term commitment will foster a culture of ecological literacy and regeneration in building practice and policy, ensuring the platform becomes a lasting tool for systems change.
Planned Activities
- Educational and Youth Engagement Activities:
Launch an “Ecosystem Services for Kids” module in collaboration with local schools and potentially museums. Engage children (if possible different age groups, e.g. 4-6, 7-10, 11-14) in various topics related to ESs, for example:
– Basis training on ESs to create an understanding on how the world functions and learn about ecological processes and services
– ESs and food systems to develop an understanding of how ESs directly relate to human systems and how we as humans depend on ESs
– Design- and systems-thinking workshops to co-create “future environments for nature and people.” Use outputs to enrich industry expertise, and reflect on how youth visions align with or challenge expert assumptions.
- Working Group Sessions & Co-Creation Labs:
Facilitate interdisciplinary working sessions on ESs integration into childhood and adult education. Due to on-going research projects, initial focus is on adult education and co-creation in the urban environments, involving researchers, urban and built environment professionals like architects, designers, as well as ecologists, and policy advisors. Early-stage findings will be presented at the next ESP conference (Europe or Global) and invite broader participation.
- Platform Development & Case Studies:
Collect, synthesize, and standardize global ESs data from literature and practice for educational and inspirational purposes.
Due to an on-going research project related to this topic, we initially focus on developing a regenerative (urban) design platform that is science-based and open-access and that links architectural and urban design strategies to their measured ESs generation as ecological and social benefits. The initiative, initially hosted at Utrecht University, supports sustainable urban transformation by empowering built environment professionals with a data-driven educational tool to design for regeneration rather than degradation (more information via EcoBUILD).
- Guidelines and Policy Integration (potentially):
Develop practical guidelines to integrate ESs into educational core concepts in schools but also into building codes, design workflows, and sustainability certification. Provide ESs decision-support tools for municipalities and regional governments aligned with CSRD and the European Green Deal.
- Outreach and Dissemination:
Produce co-authored academic articles and white papers. Disseminate platform results and tools through ESP channels, open-access repositories, and practitioner networks.
Next Steps
A session on ‘Ecosystem services education for people and nature-positive futures’ will be held at the ESP Europe conference 2026.
Furthermore, we will officially launch the working group with a co-design and visioning workshop in Summer 2026.