Cultures have survived for millions of years thanks to their capacity to adapt themselves to environmental changes, but now we are at a point where cultures have to make conscious changes to their lifestyle in order to adapt themselves and in many cases rediscover ancient practices.

“In the end we will conserve what we love, we will love what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught, ” – Baba Dioum. Since the meaning of this quote had a resonance with my beliefs and with what I was living at a certain point of my life, I decided to engage myself in the awareness of cultural identities, like those that promote conservation and sustainability.

Once we understand the importance and the uniqueness of our Landscape, we feel identified with it and we protect it.

This is where education in Landscapes Approach comes in, bringing conservation as well as sustainable strategies that creates identity awareness and more conscious practices.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me and I’ll forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll learn”, I strongly believe that by involving people in formal and non formal education, in a cooperative way we can create conscious practices.

I love this approach because of the little actions and practices that we can change or create in local projects and yet feel that they have a role to play in a global scale, because everything is connected.

Rossana Merizalde is one of the 10 young champions who will work on the “Education” Landscape challenge with Youth program’s partner: Wageningen UR.

Learn more about the Global Landscapes Forum’s Youth program, meet our 50 youth champions and discover the 5 Landscapes challenges they will take up, in December, in Paris.