UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) have become one of the most important territories for teaching geosciences and natural environment awareness in a sustainable development framework. The strategy of using geotourism and geosciences as the main engine for territorial development has successfully created an outdoor classroom where people from all over the world can learn about our planet in a scientific, cultural, and social manner. This, linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, has resulted in a safe activity for all those curious and knowledgeable people who can take a break and enjoy Earth itself with no barriers. In this study, information about UGGps and education was compiled from one of the most important databases within the international scientific community: Clarivate™ Web of Science. Its analysis shows the state of the art and the situation of this interesting topic inside the actual science context. Besides that, they give clues about the future of these territories and hints of new paths in the field of scientific research to create multiple quality educational models, accessible and adapted for everyone.
UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) stand out as territories of excellence for the development of educational activities in the international arena. Their didactic potential, their multidisciplinarity and their importance for the development of non-formal and informal teaching activities have drawn the attention of institutions, organizations and governments of many countries. This, to such an extent, that the number of UGGps continues to increase year after year, having currently reached 177 territories spread over 46 countries. All of them work every day developing different activities and educational proposals aimed at the creation of the so-called “Quality Education”, the fourth objective of the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. The diversity of didactic plans, their adaptability and their accessibility mean that each UGGp is unique and different from the rest, maintaining the key values that make up this group of territories. This study describes the different educational proposals and activities that the Spanish and Portuguese UGGps show on their official websites, with the aim of analyzing their level of visibility before visiting the territories and highlighting their relevance in the education development framework.
The Renaissance was a human time period in which culture stood out as a common whole. It was based on a humanistic and integrative cosmovision of mankind in the framework of nature and the universe. This article synthetically describes and analyses the relationships between Art and Geology through three exceptional and illustrative Renaissance figures: Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Dürer and Georgius Agricola. In the first two, making an approach from Art to Geology and in the latter, from Geology to Art. Leonardo is, unquestionably, the quintessential polymath and a pioneer, among other areas of knowledge, in geology and geosciences. His global contributions will be described using his own phrases, writings, drawings and paintings. In the case of Dürer, his famous work, Melancholy I, will be the main focus of study, specifically with reference to the mineralogical hypothesis regarding his enigmatic polyhedron. Thirdly, Agricola will be uncovered through his famous work, “De Re Metallica”. He was a scientist and an engineer, but also a pioneer in geology and mineralogy who used drawings to complement his geoscientific contributions. Finally, this Renaissance thematic connection will be compared to today's world situation. It has been suggested that Digital Age could correspond to a new period similar to the Renaissance, where innovation and creativity merging Art, Science and Technology, would be enhanced and benefited from a context of global communication.
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