The Ngorongoro Geopark is a UNESCO-listed site of immense natural and cultural significance, encompassing diverse landscapes and rich wildlife. Among its highlights are the Endoro Waterfalls, a serene natural feature, and the Elephant Caves, remarkable formations carved out by elephants seeking essential minerals. These unique locations provide visitors with both scenic beauty and insight into the behaviors of local wildlife.

Park rangers play a critical role in preserving this ecosystem. They guide tourists along well-maintained forest trails through lush bushlands, ensuring a safe and enriching experience. Additionally, they engage in crucial conservation efforts, such as controlling invasive species like jimsonweed, which threaten native vegetation, and actively protect the area from illegal poaching activities. This combination of natural wonder and dedicated stewardship makes Ngorongoro an exceptional destination for eco-tourism and sustainable travel.

The third 4GEON face-to-face annual meeting of the project team was held in Tanzania, at the Ngorongoro Lengai UNESCO Global Geopark. It was 9 days of intense program, focused on geoscience education development and practical steps in local school engagement, sustainable tourism, and community involvement, and meeting Indigenous group representatives.

Several Interim workshops focused e.g. on 4GEON information systems and the potential of generative AI in geoeducation. The meeting resulted in feedback for Ngorongoro Geopark, fostered multilateral geopark-to-geopark senior-junior experience exchange, deepened cooperation with local geoschools as well as an action plan with tangible tasks and goals. Download

Which ensures the protection of a diverse community of species around the lake of the same name. Although the national park lies in close proximity to the Ngorongoro caldera (crater), it is dominated by different habitats – the lake itself, which serves as a refuge for numerous bird species, the adjacent swamps, and the tropical forest🌿, which rises sharply from the plains around the lake to the steep volcanic cliffs surrounding Ngorongoro. With some luck, one can spot not only lions🦁, various species of monkeys🐒, antelopes, and birds, but also lions resting in the treetops, especially during the rainy season🌧️. 👣During the visit, the team also became acquainted with the organization of tourism in national parks and with the differences in the approach and intensity of protection in national parks compared to Ngorongoro, which is a conservation area.

Near Lake Eyasi in the central part of the Rift Valley. 🌎📚 In the Church Primary School Fr. Lieberman they attended a meeting for parents

and friends of the school, which included a presentation on the activities of the geoscience club. ⛪️

This was followed by a meeting with the school administration and teachers regarding 4GEON activities and a discussion on the aspect of their possible further enrichment. 🤝 Similarly, in the nearby Mang’ola government primary school, geo-club students presented the club’s activities, outputs and benefits from visits geo-locations and the knowledge gained. In the discussion that followed, the value of

of not only natural but also cultural wealth - customs, language, traditional knowledge. 💡 Through the chairman and the spokesperson of the club, students presented to the 4GEON team a plea for help in securing a connection to the internet and technical resources that the school does not yet have and which would add an important new dimension to the learning experience, including, for example, the possibility of connecting with students from other geoparks. 🔗 Specific possibilities for assistance were then discussed with the school management. Finally, the team visited local tribal communities - Hadzabe bush people and Datoga pastoralists, who introduced them to some of the their knowledge, skills and way of life.🏞️

These schools together teach over 2,000 students from 6 to 18 years of age. 🏫🌎 The visits included discussions with school management and selected teachers on the education system in Tanzania,📚 the methods used and possible ofintegrating geoscience education into the curriculum,

presenting activities and outcomes of the members of the school 4GEON clubs, a brief introduction of the Bohol, Colca geoparks,🏞️ Barrandien to students including video demonstrations, discussion with teachers and students on the project, its benefits so far and concrete ways to further to support teaching with the help of the 4GEON project in the spirit of its motto “geo is fun!”.😁

Took place, during which progress in the development and implementation of the project’s information tools was presented – specifically the GeoEduGame media portal and the Toursman system, designed to support destination management, integrated with a mobile tourist guide application.✈️📲 This application offers advanced tools for monitoring and managing tourism in the destination📍. The workshop also included a presentation on the potential use of current generative artificial intelligence tools in promoting the activities of geoparks and enriching school education📚. In addition to those physically present, about 10 other participants from the Czech Republic🇨🇿 and the Philippines 🇵🇭 joined virtually. After the workshop, the team visited a nearby gallery and market in Karatu for a brief tour of a tanzanite exhibition – a blue or violet variation of zoisite, whose only known deposit is near Mount Kilimanjaro.🏔️

🌎Fourth day of the meeting of the 4GEON project. The team visited the cultural boma of the Maasai tribe. The visit anabled to became familiar with the way of interpreting their original lifestyle. We had the opportunity to visit their kindergarten. Then we went to the Olduvai valley. ⛰️ On the way, we stopped at the Ngorongoro Lengai UNESCO Global Geopark Information Centre. The next stop was the Shifting Sands geosite. From there, we drove to the place where the skull of Paranthropus boisei was found. Next, we arrive to the Olduvai Gorge Site Museum, where we saw the exhibition and visited the community centre for local tribes. All this was accompanied by a magnificent view of the cradle of mankind.

4GEON project as a tool for sharing playful geoscience knowledge 🔧 Including: 4GEON Project Introduction, Participating Geoparks, Promotion, Partnership Conference and Workshops, Project Outputs, Current activities.Updates from Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark 💡 Including: Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark Management Council, Geopark Management Section Structure, First Bohol Island Geopark Youth Camp, Promotion and visibility, Eskaya Indigenous community development Ngorongoro-lengai geopark progressive report📜 Including: Geoheritage of Ngorongoro-Lengai, Geohazard, Environments, Culture, Geoscience around us, Wildlife, Geotourism, 4Geon Project

including the Endoro Waterfalls and the Elephant Caves 🐘 (carved out by animals that come to the site as a source of minerals). While on-site, the team familiarized themselves with the work of park rangers👮‍♂️, who maintain the tourist infrastructure🚗, guide visitors along forest paths through the bush🌳, combat invasive plant species (such as jimsonweed🌿), and deter poachers. The day ended with a meeting with representatives of the Iraqw tribe, who strive to preserve and promote their traditions and values at a cultural boma they operate independently☀️.

It is one of the biggest of volcanic calderas in the world 🌎, in the heart of which a colorful savannah ecosystem arose interlaced lakes, marshes and streams and which provides habitat for a number of iconic animals of Africa 🦓🦒. During the visit to the territory, the team focused on interpretation of natural and cultural values ​​provided by the global the Ngoronogoro Geopark, on the territory’s potential in terms of its further development sustainable development of tourism and the possibility of using information technologies in territory management 🌱

The UNESCO Global Geoparks Nagorongoro Lengai (Tanzania) and Azores (Portugal) arranged a digital meeting between students from these two territories. The meeting was a culmination of a multidisciplinary work carried out by students and teachers, rediscovering their territories and presenting them to peers, so far away geographically but so close through the Global Family – Global Geoparks Network. Thanks to Colégio de Santa Clara and to Tumaini Junior Primary School! Read more

School education programme at Engaruka primary school and a training session in Karatu District with 4GEON project support was realized. The last picture documents a meeting with local community at village Eyasi in Karatu district on 4GEON mission, activity implementation and other geopark issues.

Teachers from schools in the area are being trained in geopark-related topics.

The School Scout Troop of the Geopark was fully involved in the Geodiversity Day celebrations.

Intense cooperation with schools in the region, a new geopark club and geopark competetition, etc. Good job reported from Tanzania! Download

With the support of the 4GEON project, the International Geodiversity Day was celebrated at Tumaini Junior School by team members from the Ngorongoro Lengai Geopark, Tanzania.