On the trail of Carpathian herbs - in search of telekiae speciosae

Beneficiary:   I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Fr. St. Konarski in Rzeszów

Slovak partner:   DH Svidnik Gymnázium

Implementation period:   01/09/2018-31/08/2019

Realized project value: € 53 995.74 , including ERDF co-financing: € 45 896.36 ,

Implementation of the project by discovering and learning about natural resources, education in the field of processing and use of herbs in dietetics, medicine and cosmetology significantly contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about widely understood herbalism. The search for the magnificent smotrawa (telekiae speciosae) - the symbol of the East Slovak Vyhorlat Protected Landscape Area - on both sides of the border has become the beginning of an interesting natural and cultural lesson aimed at arousing curiosity about the world of the surrounding nature. The Carpathian Herbs Trail, on the other hand, has become an excellent supplement to the already existing trails.

The main activities carried out under the project:

• Inventory of resources of Carpathian herbs . As part of the task, a publication was prepared in the form of an expert study on herbs from the border area based on the scientific research carried out so far. A database of Carpathian herbs and their places of occurrence has also been developed. It is a valuable tip for people interested in the topic of herbs and a signpost when organizing sightseeing trips. Two field trips were organized for students on both sides of the border to identify the occurrence of naturally growing herbs.
• Development of a map of Carpathian herbs as an e-tool . The map shows areas where naturally growing herbs are found, as well as marked objects classified as the "Carpathian Herbs Trail". The interactive map is a didactic tool used in biology and geography lessons as well as additional extracurricular activities in schools on both sides of the border.
• Revitalization of knowledge on the use of herbs . As part of the task, a collection of traditional recipes for products based on herbs was created - used in the kitchen, in traditional medicine and as natural cosmetics. Students on both sides of the border have reached an older generation who has old recipes using local herbs in cooking, medicine and cosmetology. The collected recipes have been published in the form of a brochure and will serve as a didactic tool in schools in Poland and Slovakia. Additionally, workshops were organized to popularize old recipes. Culinary and cosmetic workshops "Let's make cream of herbs together" and workshops for primary school and kindergarten students conducted by high school students from Secondary School No. 1 in Rzeszów under the guidance of teachers (older colleagues - high school students will present to younger students the richness and possibilities of using Carpathian herbs on the basis of materials developed together with students from a partner school ).
• Creation of the Carpathian Herbs Garden   - a live exhibition of the richness of Carpathian herbs in the building and in the courtyard of the Secondary School No. 1 in Rzeszów. As part of the garden, "live" and dried herb exhibits have been carefully described. In the garden, you can see herbs characteristic of the border area. The exhibition has descriptions indicating the use of herbs in cosmetology and herbal medicine.
• Promotion of the Carpathian Herbs Trail. As part of the task, a photo competition for students entitled "Herbs in the lens". Schools from the province were invited to participate in it. Podkarpackie and Preszów Self-Governmental Country. The winners' works were displayed in the school's gallery in the anti-frames purchased as part of the project, and the awarded photos were published on the project and school website. A conference on the promotion of the "Trail of Carpathian Herbs" was organized for representatives of the teaching community and tourist organizations. A website informing about project activities was also created.

We encourage you to visit the website created as part of the micro-project   where you can see, among others with an album containing the herbal expertise and see an interactive map.