Flavours of the forest
Outward Round Romania owns the Erasmus+ Accreditation in the field of Youth since 2020. We created an action plan for the period 2021-2027 for the following target groups: disadvantaged and mainstream young persons, youth workers and youth NGOs.
During the 7 years we are going to:
- create a strong local and international network of youth NGOs in order to share best practices and working methods.
- develop the soft and hard skills of the youth workers, enlarge their toolkits and theoretical/practical knowledge about working with groups using non-formal methods
- develop the key competences, raise the awareness of the young persons about environmental sustainability and contribute to their inclusion
During the fifth year we implemented the following Mobilities in order to contribute to the set objectives
1. Walking with purpose: 14-25.07.2025
2. Into the Wild: 12-25.08.2025
3. Flavors of the forest: 22-30.09.2025
4. Keys for communication and cooperation: 06-17.1.2025
5. Authentic Man: 16-27.03.2026
All the Mobilities are co-financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union
Period: 22.09-03.10.2025
Location: Sovata – Outward Bound Romania Youth Center, Gurghiului Mountains
Participants: 19+5
Participating countries: Spain, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania
Partner organizations:
- Societatea pentru Tineret Outward Bound Romania
- Careterra (Greece)
- Creative Youth Academy (Hungary)
- In Aspectu (Czech Republic)
- L`Alzina (Spain)
Info letter:
FLAVOURS OF THE FOREST – InfoPack.pdf
Goals and objectives:
Flavours of the Forest is a 10-day youth exchange that invites young people to reconnect with nature through foraging—an ancient and intuitive practice that fosters mindfulness, presence, and respect for the environment. A central part of the program is a five-day expedition, designed to challenge participants, strengthen teamwork, and develop practical skills.
The elements of the program:
-5-day expedition
– nature-based self-reflection and nature connection practices
-wild edible plants collection
-outdoor cooking
-activities to enhance sensorial presence in nature
-storytelling: stories of/around plants and natural elements
-team-building activities and dynamic decision-making processes
-high ropes course activities
-opportunities to face individual challenges and stretch the comfort zone.
Results of the projects:
Participants strengthened teamwork, resilience, and practical outdoor skills while reconnecting with nature through foraging and a multi-day expedition. They also developed intercultural understanding, respect for the environment, and confidence in their own abilities.
Feedback from the participants:
“It was amazing, I learned a lot about how to organize a group in the forest.”
“I was expecting a program during which I would learn about living in nature, in hard conditions, and learning to survive with the resources you find in the wild. In the end, this program was much more than I expected, because its most important aspect was cooperation and teamwork. I learned about coexisting with others in nature.”
“I was curious about how it will be the expedition, and I was really satisfied with it and really enjoyed it, thank you for that! the whole project, not just the expedition.”
“I made new friends, got hikes a lot, learned new things about nature.”
“I think this YE matched my expectations because I learnt about building tarps, lighting up fire, and cooking in the wild, recognizing wild plants that I have never seen (which I also thought was difficult because I study in this field and I know a lot about plants). Overall, it was an amazing experience that united all the people with different cultures and backgrounds, and this is what counts most.”
Photos about the program:
-Sóvidék TV : https://www.facebook.com/reel/1894308234629329
-Photo album: ttps://www.facebook.com/outwardbound.ro/posts/pfbid0u5pjqxdhiKGzpqaXHbiS4GZVFRKQVGrPGGYfLCczbzPLmFfyYGkp9BrbHYoHdXEl
