Eden project is certainly an unconventional approach to getting environmental and social issues across to visitors. At the end of August, twenty-nine Climate Advocates spent four days at this amazing place in Cornwall. Besides exploring a bit of ‘paradise’ on earth, they also learned how to communicate climate change effectively and exchanged ideas about their own climate projects. The Advocates came from all over Europe - Slovakia, Hungary, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Denmark, France, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic and Slovenia. The Eden experts shared their knowledge and experience with the Advocates and provided them with real inspiration.

The Eden Project is a fascinating story from the very beginning. It was constructed in a 160-year-old exhausted china clay quarry at Bodelva, near St. Austell, in Cornwall. The founder Tim Smit became fascinated with stories that connected plants to people, brought them alive and put together a team of expert horticulturalists. The place was built around the theme of people's dependence on plants and the natural world. Much of the Eden Project site tells the story of how plants support our well-being. Over 1 million plants, combined with iconic architecture and art, provide the perfect location for the teaching and learning of a wide range of subjects. The visitors can for example walk through a rainforest or enjoy looking at a Mediterranean vineyard. The site uses exhibits, events, workshops and educational programmes to remind people of our dependence on, and connection to, the natural world. It was opened to the public in 2000 and now welcomes over a million visitors every year.
Advocates met Caroline Digby, the Sustainability Director, who explained how Eden projects work, Dr. Jo Elworthy, Director of Interpretation, who talked about what communication strategies are being used at Eden and many other Eden staff. Vicky Long who is working closely with the Cape Farewell project explained how this project has brought together leading artists, writers, scientists, educators and media for a series of expeditions into the wild and challenging Arctic. The Advocates also had the chance to discuss local energy solutions for Cornwall with Tim German, Head of Renewable Energy at Cornwall Council. They also spent an inspirational evening of national music and dance at the beach in Porthtowan with Chris Hines, Co-founder and Director of the successful Surfers against Sewage campaign group.

The arts, in their broadest sense, are fundamental to the Eden Project. Artistic pieces nestle amongst the greenery and Eden regularly hosts ground breaking arts events. The Advocates had the chance to join the Arts Café – a popular event full of music and dance taking place every month. During a Creative workshop with Sue Hill Advocates also created two interesting artworks. The first represented an ideal world where their projects are implemented and the other showed what the world would look like if their projects failed. The Advocates then used these works of art to interact with the Arts Café visitors and to talk with them about their projects.
At the end of the event a famous slogan ‘Yes, we can!’ could be heard several times. The advocates were leaving Eden with a strong feeling that change is possible. ‘I think no one of us returned from Eden without having been profoundly impressed and changed. Now we have returned to all parts of Europe with renewed faith after having seen that making the impossible is indeed possible in so many, many ways and at any scale in your personal life as well as in the community you are part of.’ said Thomas Vinge Gravenhorst, journalist from Denmark who took part in the programme.