Blue School Project Spotlight: Estonia

On October 15, a field trip to the Paljassaare Conservation Area took place, during which coastal and marine flora and fauna were studied together with renowned marine biologist Jonne Kotta. During the fieldwork, coastal marine plants and animals were observed and various species were collected for further analysis. Under the guidance of the marine biologist, students gained a thorough understanding of the organisms found and their role in the ecosystem. After the fieldwork, activities continued in the classroom, where the collected species were identified using textbooks and digital applications. The study concluded with the calculation of the Shannon diversity index, which resulted in a value of 1.62. This outcome provided a good overview of the biodiversity of the Paljassaare coastal marine ecosystem.

On December 15, a city-wide bird quiz was held at Gustav Adolf Grammar School as part of the #SHORE project, organized by the Tallinn Bird Club. The event brought together a record number of participants – a total of 24 teams from schools across Tallinn. The competition consisted of four parts: a quiz on Baltic Sea ecology, questions about the great cormorant, who was the bird of the year 2025, identification of Baltic Sea bird species from images, and recognition of bird calls. The questions were prepared by Linda and Jüri Metsaorg and evaluated by an expert jury. Gustav Adolf Grammar School was represented by three teams – one in the basic school category and two in the upper secondary category – all performed very well.

The day concluded with a lecture by Leho Luigujõe, a researcher from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, titled “Bird Studies in Wind Farm Areas”. The lecture addressed bird research and conservation in the context of renewable energy development and the challenges associated with it.

In addition, students have had the opportunity to meet various scientists and specialists in their fields. The topics of those lectures have been the great cormorant, the importance of nutrition as well as this year's climate summit.

The SHORE project’s activities so far have provided participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills, while deepening their understanding of the importance of protecting the Baltic Sea and its biodiversity. Further interesting and educational activities are still ahead within the project.

Gustav Adolf Grammar School (Estonian: Gustav Adolfi Gümnaasium) is a historic and prestigious public school in Tallinn, Estonia, offering education from primary through secondary levels (Grades 1–12). Founded in 1631 by Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, when Estonian territory was under Swedish control; originally named Reval Gymnasium (Reval is the old name for Tallinn). It is the oldest continuously operating secondary school in Estonia and one of the oldest schools in Europe, known for strong programs in sciences, languages (especially English, French, Swedish), mathematics, and humanities. Member of the Network of European Blue Schools and UNESCO Eco Schools.

SHORE is a 36-month project funded by Horizon Europe, one of the sister projects to the EU Mission "Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030". Gustav Adolf Grammar School is one of 100 schools funded by SHORE, whose mission is to empower students as agents of change by supporting activity that encourage young people to become eco-citizens by deepening their understanding of water ecosystems and sustainability. Additionally, the initiative offers grants to primary and secondary schools to implement “blue” projects focused on ocean and water literacy, supporting educators by providing teaching routes and community networks to help teachers integrate open schooling methodologies into education. The SHORE Community Platform is an interactive online learning environment and education management system designed to support students, teachers, and schools with ocean- and water-related educational content and tools integrating Integrating educational modules and interactive features such as gamified learning activities, a carbon and water footprint calculators, and visualization/progress tracking tools for student learning and school projects. Register today at https://shoreedu.com.

The Network of European Blue Schools (NEBS) is a European initiative that connects schools and educators across Europe who bring ocean, sea, and water topics into their classrooms through project-based learning. It’s part of the EU4Ocean Coalition, an effort supported by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to promote ocean literacy, sustainability education, and engagement with marine and aquatic environments among students and teachers. NEBS supports schools to integrate ocean and water topics into curricula, helping students understand environmental issues and develop skills related to sustainability and marine science. It facilitates collaboration among teachers and schools across Europe to share projects, resources, and best practices and builds community, acting as a hub for educators to connect, exchange ideas, and access supports from related EU and partner initiatives.

🔗 European School Education Platform page for the Network of European Blue Schools: