The environment within Western Europe has been dominated by agricultural activity and urban settlements. Practices since the 2nd World War have led to intensification and an increase in monoculture in the countryside. Land drainage and other management has been largely based on hard engineering while at the same time there has been a significant disconnect between people, especially young people and their environment.
Mono-cultural land-use and engineering has not been able to deal with the impacts of climate change, while knowledge of natural systems has demonstrated that green engineering (trees etc.) can go a long way to create more resilient landscapes for food production, amelioration of extreme climatic events and creating better spaces for people and wildlife. This project will demonstrate this at a practical level and create a methodology for expanding this across the EU.