Former shipping containers have been transformed into educational spaces to bring local flora and fauna closer to citizens, especially children. These classrooms, featuring deployable counters and exhibition areas, hosted recreational activities on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays throughout July, receiving a positive reception from residents.
The initiative is part of the municipal project GiroNat, which aims for urban renaturalization and biodiversity enhancement. According to Pau Jaén, an environmental educator from La Sorellona, the locations were chosen for their high concentration of biodiversity, often unknown to residents.
The classrooms were primarily open to school groups and organizations, but also free of charge to individual children. Joan Pérez, the project coordinator at La Sorellona, indicated that the spaces will remain active during the academic year for occasional activities and that outreach efforts will be improved for next summer's campaign.
Residents like Montse Ruiz have positively reviewed the initiative, bringing her granddaughter to the classroom in Pont Major. Ruiz emphasizes the importance of this type of environmental education for young children, especially as a complement to school education.
The classroom in Pont Major, in particular, has fostered neighborhood cohesion, welcoming children from diverse backgrounds. Pérez notes that these activities offer an opportunity for families with fewer resources to access nature-related summer programs.
Prior to their conversion into classrooms, the shipping containers were decorated with colorful plant and animal motifs in a preceding community activity. Pérez explains that the containers, designed by La Sorellona and built by Pere Aguilar under the supervision of architects Laia Escribà and Olga Muñoz, feature green roofs that attract pollinators and provide thermal insulation.
The mobility of the containers is a key feature, as they are intended to be relocated to other neighborhoods in Girona once their current recreational and educational function is complete. Children's participation in decorating the containers has fostered respect and connection with their local environment.
