Impact Island Initiative
- REAL School
- Aug 10, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
11 August 2025
The children are reimagining the island base camp as a sanctuary for biodiversity and eco-literacy. By welcoming wildlife and nurturing a sense of wonder, we aspire to kindle a spark in young people and adults alike - a spark that blossoms into a lifelong passion to care for our planet.
Let’s create, learn, and grow with heads, hearts and hands
What the children have built
The base camp was used for nature-based learning days built around:
observation and fieldwork (noticing wildlife, seasonal change, plant life)
teamwork and responsibility (shared tasks, safe tool use, planning)
stewardship projects that support the site and regenerate wildlife
Students worked in groups with adults present, and activities were designed to be contained, tidy, and respectful of the land.
What the children have learned
The children learned about pollinators, with a special focus on bees, and the wildflowers that support them. Putting on their scientist hat, they compared weather data, flower blooms, and bee activity to study connections between cause and effect. They also published an educational book about bees - check it out here!
The children learned how plants grow and thrive: photosynthesis, soil, and composting. They also created their own nature journals, combining literacy and art to record what they discovered in the natural world.
The children learned how to upcycle discarded and natural materials to create something new. Bamboo, once invasive, now supports fresh growth; old drainage pipes hold the green dome; and unused bricks and sandbags are transformed into an earth oven.
ReGenFest and the vision
The whole-school expo brought the REAL community together to experience the transformation of the island base camp after months of regeneration practices from the children. Students showcased the vegetables they grew, their newly published bee book, hand-crafted musical instruments, documentaries on Budapest—and sold a lot of lemonade! Here’s to many more ReGenFests in the years to come!
We want to leave the land in better ecological shape than we found it. Crucially, the base camp will serve as a “living museum” of regenerative practices championed by the children of REAL School. This isn’t just a site we manage; it’s a space where students lead real-world ecological projects.
The plan for upcoming seasons is to finally bake pizzas in the earth oven and:
Student-led restoration: Students will be at the forefront of increasing biodiversity -from establishing a wild pond in the old pool to planting native wildflower meadows and managing natural top-bar beehives on the pump house roof.
The “Tiny forest” hub: The site will act as a nursery where children grow native tree saplings in a dedicated greenhouse and produce the rich humus/soil necessary for our Tiny Forest initiatives.
Innovation & infrastructure: We will showcase circular systems like the UBC-inspired “MycoToilet” and a covered earth oven. These allow students to engage with state-of-the-art, waterless waste solutions and sustainable cooking.
Natural pest management: To manage mosquitoes without chemicals, students will install and monitor bat boxes, using the site to learn about biological balance.
Stewardship & collaboration: We will conduct a professional ecological survey to create a biodiversity plan that respects the site’s constraints. We also aim to foster a respectful relationship with the Sziget Festival, teaching students how to balance ecological projects with major public events.
Why all these matters
Children learn best when responsibility is real. On the island, care is not theoretical. Students see the results of their actions, practice working safely and thoughtfully, and learn how to contribute to a shared place. Because we will only protect what we love, and we will only love what we connect with.
