Nurturing Sustainability Through Education

“Petites mans a l’hort”: a new guide to keep cultivating healthier and more sustainable nursery schools



The 2024/2025 edition of the Healthy and Sustainable Nursery Schools project, led by Justicia Alimentaria with the support of Menorca Preservation, comes to a close after another successful year promoting the transition towards a healthier and more sustainable food model

The Healthy and Sustainable Nursery Schools project, run by Justicia Alimentaria with the support of Menorca Preservation, concludes the 2024/2025 school year with the launch of the guide “Petites mans a l’hort” — a practical resource designed to support educators in managing and bringing to life school gardens as educational spaces.

Developed from the collective experience gathered throughout this school year, the guide offers a dual perspective: technical, addressing key aspects such as planning, maintenance, and garden management; and educational, providing activities and resources to help children explore values such as healthy eating, respect for nature, and the importance of local and seasonal produce.

More than ten educators from different nursery schools attended the presentation, where each participating centre received a copy of the guide to put into practice in their classrooms and gardens.

Active in Menorca since 2021, the project has engaged over 400 children and 150 families across ten nursery schools this school year. Through practical workshops, teacher training, and family activities, it aims to promote a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable food system from the earliest stages of life.

Núria Llabrés, Project Coordinator for Justicia Alimentaria in the Balearic Islands: “With this guide, we want to build on the work carried out over the course of the project and offer a useful tool for educators to continue exploring healthy eating and respect for the environment through the school garden. Food education from early childhood is key to driving the transition towards a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable food system.”

Sixto Cabiró, Agricultural Technician and Coordinator of the School Garden Support Programme: “Throughout the year, we’ve seen how the gardens have become living spaces for learning and discovery — places where children connect with nature and understand the true value of food. It’s inspiring to work alongside such committed educators; their dedication allows the project to take root and bear fruit now, and ensures that when this generation grows up, these experiences will have a real power to shape a more conscious and sustainable society.”

Rebecca Morris, Executive Director of Menorca Preservation: “We’re delighted to see how all the work carried out through this project has come together in a guide that will continue to inspire educators and strengthen children’s connection with the land. We also believe that the work done alongside families — promoting healthier and more sustainable eating habits — has complemented the classroom activities beautifully, laying the foundations for lasting and meaningful change.”

In addition to the new guide, this school year also saw pilot initiatives in several gardens using wool as insulation and recycled fishing nets from PescArt Menorca — Menorca Preservation’s circular economy project — as trellises for climbing plants in five nursery schools. These actions make use of local resources while reinforcing the connection between education, sustainability, and the island’s territory.