Using Environmental Observatory Data from the Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO) to Advance Climate Change Education in the Mediterranean

Environmental observatories provide powerful real-world contexts for advancing climate change education and fostering engagement with Earth system science. The Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), located in southwestern Greece, integrates long-term environmental monitoring with interdisciplinary research, generating high-resolution datasets on atmospheric conditions, ecosystem dynamics, soil and hydrological processes, and biodiversity change in a Mediterranean climate hotspot. By linking empirical observations to education and outreach activities, NEO supports learning experiences that connect scientific evidence to place-based climate impacts and societal challenges.

This contribution presents how NEO observational data are embedded in participatory education initiatives to enhance climate literacy, critical thinking, and data competencies across diverse learner groups. Drawing on examples from international field courses, summer schools, living lab activities, and community workshops, we show how students and stakeholders engage directly with real environmental datasets to interpret trends, explore uncertainty, and understand feedbacks between climate, ecosystems, and land management. Particular attention is given to how data-driven learning influences climate perceptions, supports interdisciplinary understanding, and encourages informed dialogue between scientists and society.

Our experience demonstrates that combining long-term environmental observations with experiential and participatory educational approaches strengthens climate change education, promotes trust in scientific evidence, and supports the development of actionable knowledge for climate adaptation and sustainability.