The MónNatura Pirineus offers schools nature residential visits, a first class educational opportunity to help students identify, respect, and love the different elements that make up the landscape of the Pallars and the Pyrenees.

Residential visits to get to know and love nature in an unrivalled setting, right next to a national natural park, with high quality facilities: laboratory, astronomical observatory, classrooms... And the unique opportunity to discover the wildlife of the Pyrenees firsthand at the Wildlife Centre.

The general programme lasts three days, from Monday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Friday. Three fixed activities are included, along with three optional ones.

The nature residential visits are designed for students of upper primary education, secondary education, Baccalaureate, and vocational courses.

The CX MónNatura Pirineus offers a wide range of supplementary activities depending on educational level which can be seen in the following table:

     P (Primary – upper level)
     S1 (ESO – first level secondary)
     S2 (ESO – second level secondary)
     B (Baccalaureate level education).

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Pyrenean Wildlife

Visit the Wildlife Centre

Get to know some of the most representative species of wild fauna in the Pyrenees at the Wildlife Centre, an area which harmonizes with the environment where, thanks to the animals found there, we can enjoy a unique experience. With the help of an expert, we learn about the major biological features of these species.

A forest of feelings

Environmental interpretation activity using the five senses

The perception of a space using the five senses allows us to discover a whole world of sensations that often goes completely unnoticed: the song of a bird, the feel of a piece of bark, the taste of fruit, the smell of a forest are all ways through which we can discover the natural world.

Nature within our reach

Discovery and interpretation of the environment trail

This naturalist interpretation trail around the Centre allows us to study aspects of the natural environment such as vegetation characteristic of this mountainous region, vegetation habitats, sun and shade, the formation of the Pyrenees, wildlife, and animal traces.

The landscape, an open book

Reading and interpreting the landscape

The landscape is like a book which we can only read and analyse if we are familiar with the first chapters of its history and can understand its evolution, the elements that represent it, and the effects of human intervention throughout history.

Mountain streams

Introduction to the study of macroinvertebrates

Macroinvertebrates are a biological indicator used for analysing water quality. This outdoor activity will acquaint us with the study of mountain streams, teach us about characteristic vegetation, and let us assess from the different living things that we find in the water whether the water is of optimal quality.

Mushrooms at home

Experimental activity to find out how mushrooms are cultivated

This activity teaches us to identify types of fungus and how, in just two weeks at the optimum temperature, we can grow mushrooms at home. There is even an opportunity to taste some mushrooms.

More than just a pellet

Experimental activity to discover the nocturnal feeding habits of birds of prey

The diet of most nocturnal birds of prey is based on the ingestion of mammals. The hair and bone material are not digested, but are regurgitated by the bird. Opening a bird pellet allows us to discover bone fragments from different species: has he eaten a mole, a shrew, another bird? A world of diversity lies within our reach.

The stone age

Introduction to geology activity

Rocks form a seemingly static element in the landscape, but they are also one of the most important. Through experimentation we can discover how the Pyrenees were formed and what their main characteristics are.

Without losing the North

Team orientation activity

This activity teaches us basic orientation techniques. The North is the reference point in our hemisphere; many natural elements provide us with clues to be able to locate this point. By following an orientation route in different teams, we are able to gain an understanding of an environment where knowledge of orientation is the key to not losing our way!

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

From wheat to flour

See life in a village high in the mountains with a visit to the Son flour mill

The remains of a dry stone wall are an indicator of human presence in the territory where the driving economic force was subsistence economy. This trail leads to the village of Son where we visit a flour mill and, whilst no longer in use, we can learn from the experience of the last millers what the way of life was like in a mid-twentieth-century mountain village.

The Romanesque in Son

Approach to the study of Romanesque art

Son is a village that retains an exquisite Romanesque heritage. This activity lets us explore the social organization and the construction techniques used in one of the most representative architectural periods of the Pyrenees.

Pallars traditional objects and bowling

Knowledge of popular culture in Pallars

The understanding of different traditional mountain objects and tools will bring us closer to comprehending this austere way of life where the optimization of resources was vital to the subsistence economy. This activity will also enable us to discover a traditional game, kept alive to this day by the people of Pallars — so hold on tight!

The way of wood

Activity based on understanding forest resources

Forest resources have always been of vital importance for the human race. The development of the Pallars forests represented a major socio-economic boost in the early Twentieth Century. By understanding the main tools used in timber preparation, we become acquainted with the process followed by a log from the mountains of the Pyrenees until (using water resources) it reaches its final commercial destination.

A Mediaeval landscape

Understanding Valencia d’Àneu castle activity

The county of Pallars was the last one in the country to remain independent. This activity helps us to understand the landscape and familiarize ourselves with the history of Hug Roger III. From the ruins of the old castle we learn how society was structured in mediaeval times and what brought about the end of the county of Pallars.

SUSTAINABILITY

Water, a vital resource

Knowledge of the building’s water cycle

Activity to raise awareness of the importance of water in the environment, in terms both of ecological functions and of the uses to which it is put by mankind. This activity also provides information on the microbiological treatment systems in the treatment plant at the Centre.

The living building, a house for every environment

Knowledge of the functioning of the building

Activity to learn about the principles of bioclimatic architecture and integration into the landscape which has been adopted in the design and construction of the Centre. Emphasis will be placed on other examples of construction in different parts of the world and management models based on principles of sustainability. The activity has different dynamics tailored to different educational levels.

Go with the flow

Game to learn about the water cycle

Our waterways are subject to human intervention, with regard both to their uses and to their potential pollutants. This activity is based on a treasure hunt, specially designed to show children the current courses of our rivers, from source to mouth.

SCIENCES OF THE UNIVERSE

The Sun, our star

Activity based on solar observation and experimentation

The Sun is the most important star for our planet and has different dynamic cycles. Using direct observation we learn to identify sunspots: a real-life live show. This is followed by a practical experiment using a solar cooker to cook food.

Solar System Quiz

Activity to learn about the Sun and the planets

Our solar system has a variety of planets with different characteristics. This quiz helps participants get to know them all and understand how they work and their dynamic within the global group we call the Solar System. This is followed by solar observation through a telescope.

Travel through the galaxies

Activity based on observing and understanding the sky at night

Observation of the night sky has fascinated mankind for thousands of years. This activity aims to teach us about the major constellations and celestial bodies visible in the northern hemisphere. By first using the Centre’s planetarium, we learn about the astronomy and mythology of the main constellations, something that then enables us, using optical equipment, to look more deeply into, and to enjoy, the unforgettable Pyrenean night sky.