Communicating geological heritage to schools: examples from the Oeste UNESCO Global Geopark (Portugal)

The Oeste UNESCO Global Geopark (OUGGp) comprises the municipalities of Bombarral, Cadaval, Caldas da Rainha, Peniche, Lourinhã and Torres Vedras. Located in the Portuguese central west region (Europe), it has a total area of 1154 km² and 72 km of Atlantic coastline. Rocks from the Jurassic Period are the most common in the territory, representing 77% of the total area, and are known for its many dinosaur discoveries. The dissemination of the geological heritage is one of the main goals of UNESCO Global Geoparks. Here we present three tools created by the OUGGp seeking to promote its heritage among schools. 

In 2021, the “Rocha²” project was created as part of Educational Programs Catalog of the OUGGp. Its main goal is to bring the geodiversity elements of the OUGGp to schools, in a didactic and enjoyable way. The project includes two boxes (one for 7^th grade; and one for 10^th and 11^th grade) and four manuals (one for 7^th grade students; one for 10^th and 11^th grade; and two for their respective teachers). The boxes have different rock samples and fossil replicas. The manuals include complementary activities (e.g. letter soups, crosswords, and quizzes). 

In 2022, OUGGp produced the “De Costa (En)Costa” webdocumentary (https://costaencosta.pt). Based on an online platform, the viewer can interact with different contents from the different geosites of the OUGGp, on its own time and sequence. It provides the opportunity to take a virtual tour through the territory where, on each geosite, the visitor can interact with 360º videos of the place, watch scientists’ explanations and diagrams about different topics (Geology, Paleontology, Geography, Archeology, and local Culture) in a simple language, as well as 360º views of Planet Earth through geological time. This platform is accessible at home or outdoors, because it adapts to mobile phone format. 

In 2023, the OUGGp opened CIGO - Oeste Geopark Interpretation Center, as the main territory entrance, offering the visitor a journey through 250 million years of our planet's history, in a single space. There, the visitor can discover the “footprints” that Earth’s evolution left in this territory, including the birth of the North Atlantic Ocean, the life and death of dinosaurs, the beginning and evolution of humanity and the people and traditions that shape the identity and the daily life of the territory.