Portugal: Olivaria – The olive tree

Objectives of the Activity

The main objectives of this activity were to:

• Explore the importance of trees in terrestrial ecosystems.
• Understand the value of trees in society.
• Know about olive trees, a characteristic tree of Portugal.
• Know about products that come from olives, including pollutants by-products.
• Explore the local context.

Description of the Activity

This activity was carried out on a teaching farm located in the city of Lisbon, in a place called “Olivais” (the Portuguese word for olive grove), which gives this activity a strong connection with a local context. Being a pedagogical farm, open to the public, this activity was carried out by a group of families, during a weekend day, although it was very much aimed at the youngest members. The activity itinerary was largely based on exploring the olive trees on the farm where participants took an exploratory walk, paying special attention to these trees.

By learning about olive trees, students gain a deeper understanding of sustainable agriculture, olive oil production and biodiversity. This knowledge promotes the appreciation of the environment and encourages more sustainable practices, essential to face contemporary environmental challenges. Furthermore, understanding the history and economic importance of olive trees in Portugal helps to strengthen the sense of national identity and appreciation for local products. As such, during the activity, several aspects were approached and discussed in an inquiry approach.

Considering the approach taken in the activity, it was possible to observe that several subjects can be covered in this activity (e.g., Earth Sciences, Geography, Literature, Biology, History, Mathematics) and, as such, it has an interdisciplinary character.

Description of Implementation

This activity was implemented in February 2024 with 12 participants (6 children and 6 parents), at QPO and was conducted by three monitors from that same farm (from CML) and had the support of two members of IE-ULisboa to collect data (observation and questionnaires). In total, the activity lasted around 90 minutes and was developed in two parts, in which participants played an active role in terms of discussing ideas and exploring the farm.

1st part (Introduction): The activity began in one of the farm’s kitchens, where participants had displayed various products derived from olive trees (olives, olive oil, olive paste, olive pomace, etc.), about which were questioned. What would it be? What is your origin? What would they be for? The focus of the activity then moved to the olive trees: generally, the educational farm is visited because of the animals and, as such, this is an activity that also aims to make the visitors see the farm with different eyes. A moment of inquiry followed, in which some materials were provided to the participants (such as a short text and maps of the world and the farm), and participants were asked about where olive trees can be found, about the scientific name of the olive trees (and why to use a Latin designation), about whether they have seen olive trees and where (link to the real context of the participants). The conclusion that was intended was that olive trees are a common species in Portugal and the Mediterranean and the reasons for this were also pointed out (climate, history, etc.).

2nd part (Exploration of the farm): the exploration of the farm began with an orientation exercise: participants would have to observe the map, orient themselves by the cardinal points to position it in the correct position and find the way to an area of the farm where they could they found many olive trees. Next to the trees, several topics were discussed:

• why that area of Lisbon is called Olivais (the Portuguese
  word for olive grove)
• the historical (and literary) context of that area of Lisbon
• the tree species in the olive family (and what are the differences between them)
• the varieties of olives
• the machines used to harvest olives
• olive oil production (what type of olive oil, olive oil mills, products that derive from olive oil production)
• environmental issues, related to olive pomace, the biggest environmental pollutant in Portugal
• what can you do with this product? (Fertilizer, energy production/combustion, composting,

In the final part, the participants gathered near one of the olive trees and the constitution of a tree was discussed (branches, trunk, etc.) and how one can know the age of an olive tree was discussed (with measurements involving the perimeter of the tree and with the number of rings in a tree). Finally, participants were challenged to search, on the internet, for where the oldest olive tree in Portugal is located.

Knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed by the learners

At the end of this activity, participants:

• developed scientific knowledge about olive trees in particular and trees in general
• mobilized prior knowledge, much of it related to their daily experiences
• reflected on issues related to their local and national context
• Developed appropriate and positive attitudes
• became more informed about one of Portugal’s main products

Challenges and Problem-Solving Approach

In general, this activity was not difficult. Still, due to the fact that it was a very heterogeneous group, with children of different ages and their respective family members, prior knowledge was very diverse. This is also why the concepts covered were not understood by everyone equally. Another difficulty was in getting parents to be more involved: in general, it was the children who participated most, even though they were guided by their respective family members.

In terms of strategies, there was often a need to adapt the language to younger people, so that they could understand, in a simple way, the topics covered.

Final Remarks

The implemented activity has diverse potential. It is a pleasant activity, which can easily be adapted to different audiences as its theme relates to different aspects and areas/disciplines, and therefore has an interdisciplinary character. One of the factors that contributed to the success of the activity was the informal and very friendly environment that was created, as a result of the vast experience of the QPO (CML) organizers. The perception was that the participants liked it. Although it is well designed, we think it could still be improved through, for example, more targeted challenges that would encourage participants to explore these trees more independently.