The aim of this project is to conduce to a change of a rather sceptical attitude of the Czech general public to consequences of a climate change and to a current need of adaptation and mitigating measures. Alongside it intends to support the policy of Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic and targets of EU Strategies 2020 in the sphere of low-carbon economy in a very practical and demonstrative matter using the data carried out from referential low-energy buildings, green roofs and trees for raising the public awareness as well as educating both the public and students. To accomplish these aims, the measured data were accessed to the public in a clear graphic way and some teaching programmes and other educational moduls were created focusing on two areas: 1) the response of trees to a stress induced by a climate change, and 2) on water and energy balance of ecological building with green roofs.
- Development ofa training programme forthe study of manifestationsof treesresponseto a climate change.
The project will be focused on formation of new teaching programmes. To implement these, three series of educational subjects will be established within the extreme climatic conditions in the Czech Republic (Hrubý Jeseník, Steppe Pouzdřanská, Open garden in the centre of Brno) where we can expect the most distinctive modifications changes related to a climate change. The most advanced instruments for measuring growth and physiological processes of trees (transpiration, radial increment, roots, phenological manifestations, climate sensors, soil sensors) will be installed in the objects. The measured data will be processed and interpreted in teaching of environmental education in accordance with the level of trainees. Educational programmes for various levels of education will be developed including worksheets in which the trainees themselves will process and evaluate the measured data. To reach this goal, a web application will be formed where you will be able to see measured data and simultaneously it will contain a complete database of the data. Persons will be trained at several different levels: elementary school, lower and upper secondary schools, colleges and universities, professionals (teachers, environmental centres, government, commercial sphere – arborists, gardeners,…). A training of the installation and maintenance of measuring devices will also be implemented within the project. Trained persons will be able to handle independently these machines and they will be able to use this ability in their professional activities. For this purpose a series of mobile sensors will be used for measuring climatic and physiological variables.
2) Forming of a training programme for the study of the effectiveness of ecological constructions with regard to the carbon balance in the conditions of a changing climate.
A unique infrastructure will work for the above-mentioned partial section that has been built by the Foundation Partnership in the area of Údolní 33, Brno. It is a complex of buildings and an educational garden that provides an exemplary model for green building in the context of a sustainable urban development leading to measures to mitigate a climate change and adaptation to these changes. The Open Gardens site aims toward a long-term neutral carbon balance. A passive energy standard is provided by minimalising of the loss of energy and the need of adequate energy for the whole complex is largely gained from renewable sources. There are two key buildings with different construction and technical characteristics (a historic building renovated to a passive energetic standard and a newly constructed building in a passive standard). Both the buildings are comparable in terms of floor space (1,000 square meters). A unique opportunity to assess the effectiveness of adaptation measures is provided by a comparison of run-off rainwater from a green roof of a new building with the same size standardized flat roof of the adjacent renovated building. Both rainwater downpipes are led into underground tanks of 30 m2, from which the water is pumped for irrigation and flushing of gardens. The above-mentioned buildings will be equipped with the latest measuring equipment with online data transmission which will be used for trainings in the sphere of environmental building efficiency. The data will be available for the public via software enabling to monitor both an immediate water and energy balance in the buildings and their cumulative values for individual days, weeks, months, years. In terms of the schooling, the trainees will be informed about the applicability of environmental buildings as well as evaluation and interpretation of the data gained from the measuring devices. The educational programme will also include students of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programmes who will utilize the potential of this project for applied research and will carry out their theses based on this project. The educational programme will be implemented at different levels of education: elementary and secondary schools, universities, experts, laymen interested in the ecological constructions and energy economy.