Research-education-cooperations

Environmental Research 2.0 (2025 - 2027)
Innovative Technologies and Methods in Environmental Research: Science for Tomorrow

The project actively engages students from six regional schools with environmental research and innovative digital technologies. The focus lies on local forest and freshwater ecosystems, which are explored through excursions, experiments, and research tasks. Using virtual reality experiences, citizen science apps, and AI-based tools, participants gain hands-on insight into how environmental research works – from data collection to presenting results. The activities are developed and implemented by WasserCluster Lunz, the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal Wilderness Area Management, and the IT company Deckweiss. The goal is to spark curiosity, promote scientific thinking, strengthen methodological skills, and foster a deep awareness of ecological interconnections and sustainability.

Funding: FFG

Project Partners:

· Schutzgebietsverwaltung Wildnisgebiet Dürrenstein-Lassingtal

· IT Firma Deckweiss

Forschungs-Lern-Labor (FLL) im Haus der Wildnis in Lunz am See (2020 - 2023)

The research and learning laboratory in the new "House of Wilderness" - the center of the Wilderness Area Dürrenstein - in Lunz am See aims at raising school students' understanding of ecosystems through experimental research in the laboratory and in the field, at deepening their knowledge of the complex relationship between man and nature, and at providing insights into the nature of science and the process of scientific research. The research and learning laboratory is run by the "House of Wilderness" of the Dürrenstein wilderness area, the educational work is primarily carried out by scientists of WasserCluster Lunz and the associated universities. The present 3-year project involves the instrumental and conceptual setup of the learning laboratory, the establishment of a network with schools, the transfer and further development of already tested teaching concepts from WasserCluster Lunz to the learning laboratory, the training of employees and the organisation of first workshops or project days.

Links:

https://www.haus-der-wildnis.at/ausstellung/

ClimSchool 21 (2019 - 2020)

online learning and citizen science formats and the value - action gap

There is still a noticeable gap between knowledge about climate change and climate-friendly behavior (value – action gap). Innovative educational concepts can promote climate-adapted behavior among the young population group by presenting basic knowledge about climate change in a way that suits the target group, encourages their curiosity and motivates them to act in a climate-friendly manner. Education represents a starting point in order to "move from knowledge to action" and to achieve a transformation in the behavior of our society. Important components of innovative educational concepts are online media formats as these are favored by young people. Together with school students and teachers we test a selection of popular online (learning) formats (e.g. YouTube videos, online quizzes) in comparison to a Citizen Science approach. With the help of feedback questionnaires we examine which formats are suitable for communicating research results in an attractive way and, in particular, for promoting climate-friendly behavior. We especially want to find out whether the active involvement of young people into research using a Citizen Science approach can achieve more sustainable results than purely passive learning concepts

Further information: https://www.startclim.at/projektliste

Wasser:KRAFT (2016 - 2018)

Energie aus Wasser – Wasserkraft und Algen: Energiequellen der Zukunft

Children and teenager from the region of Mostviertel work together with researchers and experts to explore water power. Experts explain how to gain water power using the example of regional water power stations, and ecological consequenzes for streams. Moreover the children learn about microalgae and how to produce engergy out of it. The project is funded by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, it is a cooperation of WasserCluster Lunz, BIOENERGY 2020+, EVN and Hydro-Connect and it is performed in the course of the programm "Talente regional" from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).

Sparkling Science Project "PowerStreams" (2014 - 2016)

In this education-cooperation-project, scientists work together with schools to measure the efficiency and sustainability of nutrient and organic matter uptake in slightly to heavily polluted streams. Students will assist the scientists in short term nutrient and DOC retention experiments in the field and they will measure the production of greenhouse gases in stream sediments in the lab. Our partner schools are Francisco Josephinum, BRG Waidhofen/Ybbs, BORG Mistelbach, and HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein.

Funding: Ministry of Science, Research, and Economy (BMWFW),within the framework of the research-education-programme Sparkling Science.

Links:

www.sparklingscience.at
www.bmwfw.gv.at
www.brgwy.at
www.josephinum.at
www.borgmistelbach.ac.at
www.raumberg-gumpenstein.at

Project „Pro aqua, pro terra“ (2013 - 2014)

Partner schools: BRG Waidhofen a.d. Ybbs, Francisco Josephinum Wieselburg, HLFS Elmberg, HLUW Yspertal

In the course of the research project „Pro aqua, pro terra“, the WasserCluster Lunz cooperates with partner schools in different ways. In April 2013, students of the BRG Waidhofen visited Lunz to learn how to develop a scientific study design and perform a lab experiment about aquatic respiration based on scientific principles. Besides, we sampled macrozoobenthos in the stream, measured water quality and determined the ecological state of the Lunzer Seebach. In summer, students of the Francisco Josephinum and the HLUW Yspertal will conduct experiments with denitrifying bio-reactors for their pre-scientific thesis (Fachbereichsarbeit/Diplomarbeit).

(Funding: Amt der Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wissenschaft)

Project „Forschung im Fluss – Wie beeinflussen wir unsere Bäche“ (2011-2012)

The aim of this project is to give young people an understanding of the sensitivity of stream ecosystems and the complex interaction between humans and the environment. The students try to answer their own research questions about ecological interrelations via in-situ surveys of the stream and experiments in the lab (explorative learning).

(Bildungsförderungsfond; Funding bodies: Ministries of Education and of Science and Research)

Forschungswoche „Ökosystem Bach“; HLFS Ursprung; June 2011

The students investigated the ecological state of the Lunzer Seebach with regard to nutrient content, macrozoobenthos and stream morphology. They carried out lab experiments to analyse influencing parameters on the aquatic respiration and production. In addition, they learned how to determine ammonium, phosphate and chlorophyll a concentrations in the water.

Project „WESPe – Wetlands, Environment, Society, and Pressures“ (2009-2011)

Together with our partner schools, we investigated the impact of changed environmental conditions (global climate change, altered hydrologic regime) on the ecological and social carrying capacities of the urban floodplain Lobau in Vienna. Along with experiments examining temperature effects on primary production and methane emissions, the relevance of wetlands for the quality of life for teenagers was an important objective of the project. (Programme Sparkling Science; Funding bodies: Federal Ministry for Science and Research; Partner schools BRG 18, GRG 10; CMS Orth/Donau, Francisco Josephinum Wieselburg). Mehr: www.sparklingscience.at

Project „Natura 2000-Schulbox“ (2009-2011)

The aim of this project was the development and optimisation of a teaching material collection for action-oriented teaching of the goals and ideas of Natura 2000 in schools. The main focus was on the investigation of different Natura 2000 habitats which provided the students with the tools of nature protection research.

(Europäischer Landwirtschaftsfonds für die Entwicklung des ländlichen Raumes; Funding bodies: EU, Government of Lower Austria, Ministry of Environment; Partner schools: MS Eichgraben, CMS Orth/Donau, HS Lunz)

Project „Ich seh, ich seh – Mikrokosmos Lunzer See“ (2007-2008)

Together with students from our partner schools, we investigated the fascinating microcosm of the Lunzer See (plankton, benthic organisms).

(Bildungsförderungsfond; Funding bodies: BMUK, BMWF; Partner schools: HS Lunz, VS Lunz, HS Göstling, BRG Scheibbs)