Education
Didactic Proposals 2012/2013
The reference points of the DIDACTIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ACTIVITY in ANPIL del Monteferrato are represented by the three Visitor Centers of the protected area, collaborating with the local associations.
Schignano Visitor Center is a cosy and functional structure, surrounded by a beautiful garden near a woodland. This gives the opportunity to offer proposals aiming at the enhancement of the natural and historical beauties of the territory of the Protected Area, establishing a relation with the trail network of Monteferrato. The didactic activities are carried out in collaboration with C.D.S.E. (Centro di Documentazione Storico-Etnografica della Val di Bisenzio - Historical-Ethnographic Documentation Center of Val di Bisenzio) and consist in a series of activities dedicated to the pupils of Kindergartens, Primary, and 1st grade Secondary Schools. The didactic activities deal with environmental, historical, and artistic issues and include both outdoor visits and workshops: the Visitor Center houses the workshops and, in most cases, represents the departure point for the guided visits.
In the case of Kindergartens and Primary Schools, the didactic activities combine historical and environmental issues in order to support the school program.
In the case of 1st grade Secondary Schools, the historical-classical issues are divided from scientific issues. For this reason, the proposals dedicated to Middle School are divided into historical-cultural activities and natural science activities (dedicated in an experimental way to the middle school of Vaiano). For middle schools there are activities promoting visits to the territory (rather than workshops) and the elaboration in the classroom by pupils and teachers of the work carried out with the various experts.
Bagnolo Visitor Center is situated in the renovated premises of a kiln inside the village/farmstead of Villa del Barone, at the edges of Montefettaro ophiolite area. The didactic activities are carried out in collaboration with the association Symbiosis and are mainly dedicated to Middle Schools, since they deals with more demanding issues and are linked to the scientific programs of the 2nd grade school.
From the Visitor Center, it is possible to leave for tours touching particular areas of the territory, like wetlands, ophiolite areas, and former dumping grounds interested by environmental recovery measures.
The third Visitor Center of the Protected Area is situated in Prato, inside the Natural Science Museum, a complex structure including the following resources:
- Natural Science Museum, including 750 square meters of exhibit halls with collections of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, insects, shells, minerals, rocks, herbaria.
Finds of the Mousterian Paleolithic Industry of Galceti and archeological finds dating back to the Bronze Age.
- Visitor Center of Monteferrato Protected Area, with the relief model, 19th century and contemporary sculptures made with Prato green marble. Various objects and materials.
Reptilarium housing exotic animals recovered after abandonment. Exhibit halls for temporary exhibits. Nature Park of 160,000 square meters with free mammals and birds needing treatments and a re-adaptation period. Park of the serpentine and green rocks.
Digital planetarium projecting in a dome with a diameter of four meters both the celestial hemispheres for a total of 100,000 stars. The sun, the moon, the planets, constellations and galaxies.
- Astronomical Observatory formed by different telescopes in a dome of four meters and a half to observe the "nearby" sky, the "deep" sky, and the sun.
Itinerant Planetarium: An inflatable dome of 6 meters of diameter and 4.40m of height that can be put up in gyms or in other adequate places, to bring the universe into schools. The dome can welcome 60 students. The program can be adapted to elementary, intermediate, or secondary schools. This itinerant planetarium can be very useful if you want to dedicate on day to Astronomy, above all in big schools, without the problem of time, costs, and responsibility of a school trip.
Opening times
from October to May - weekdays 9.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. / 3.00 p.m.-6.00 p.m. - holidays 3.00 p.m.-6.00 p.m.
from June to September - weekdays 9.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. / 4.00 p.m.-7.00 p.m. - holidays 4.00 p.m.-7.00 p.m.
-Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (open only for didactic visits by previous booking)
Click here to find all the Environmental Education Proposals (Italian text)
