Speleo House | Science and education center

A five-day winter adventure in the Science and Education Centre Speleo House

Fifteen young, intrepid participants from all over Croatia and neighboring countries spent five days attending a program organized by Outward Bound Croatia in fierce winter weather conditions. The snowstorm and driving difficulties of the roads throughout Croatia couldn’t stop them from participating in this unique adventure. Young people aged 13-19 years accompanied by experienced Outward Bound instructors and the professional staff of the Public Institution Natura Histrica were tested in outdoor challenges, spatial orientation, hiking and numerous problem-solving tasks aimed at developing communication skills, teamwork and leadership. The above mentioned activities took place in the breathtaking natural environment of the Ćićarija mountain from January 4 to January 8, 2016.

With no cell phones or other technological devices, the participants even spent one night sleeping under the stars by the campfire, thus acquiring a range of useful surviving skills – from the use of the compass to lighting fire and building a bivouac shelter. The program has particularly focused on encouraging creativity and enriching participants with valuable experiences. The main goal was to teach participants about their own skills, personal responsibility and teamwork, but also to enable them to gain new friends and good memories, as evidenced by the experience of over 2500 participants who have previously gone through similar Outward Bound programs.

For the past ten years Outward Bound Croatia has been carrying out this type of valuable programs for children and youth, while the described adventure represents their third collaboration with the Region of Istria and the Science and Education Centre Speleo House.

After many years of engaging in international projects, the Region of Istria teamed up with the Municipality of Lanišće and Public Institution Natura Histrica in order to renovate and furnish an abandoned old school in the village of Vodice. The mission of the Science and Education Centre Speleo House is to become the backbone of scientific research activities in the field of karst, its protection and improvement, as well as a location for conducting multi-disciplinary educational programs. The emphasis is primarily on the protection of karst and the environment in general, but ultimately our goal is to create a headquarters for project work, experiential learning, formal and informal education that is in synergy with nature and the needs of local residents.