As part of the Interreg SK-AT project “HUBsburg-TwinSmart,” we brought nature directly into schools in Vienna during the last school year. Fourteen high schools received their own raised garden beds for the schoolyard and kicked off the gardening season with expert guidance. Together with the pupils, they worked diligently to plant, water, and tend to the beds, ultimately reaping a bountiful harvest of sweet strawberries, crisp carrots, and delicious kohlrabi.
To ensure the raised garden beds survive the cold season unscathed, a special workshop on proper overwintering was held this school year on October 15, 2026, for 25 secondary school teachers. With these valuable tips, the raised beds can be replanted next spring and actively used in the classroom to teach the topic of biodiversity in a hands-on way. In this way, we are creating a sustainable “green classroom” where students can experience ecological relationships firsthand year after year.