The project aims to promote the knowledge and approach of the population of the Henares river basin to its Natural Protected Areas of the Natura 2000 network through the generation of employment with specialized training in Environmental Education, Leisure and Sustainable Tourism.

The theme of the project is the economic reactivation and alternative development of areas linked to economic activities in the primary sector in decline.

The leisure and free time sector is a sector in the field of child and youth education with a wide development that has the prospect of expanding in the future due to the socioeconomic evolution of our society that requires, more and more, education and care spaces for children and adolescents and the development of leisure activities different from those currently offered by the entertainment market. This type of specific training involves learning a series of tools that open up a wide range of job opportunities, especially for the youth sector.

Possibilities of integration into the labor market that go beyond the traditional activities of this sector (camps, extracurricular activities, etc.) and that, among other sectors (cultural tourism, social integration, development education, group dynamization, conflict resolution, etc.), are closely linked to environmental education and nature tourism, which are the two areas to be promoted through this project. It is also important to point out that there is little knowledge among the population of the municipalities in the Henares river basin of the environmental, social and cultural values of this environment, which are included in the Natura 2000 network with several protected areas. This socio-ecosystem is the result of a rich history that dates back many years before the Romanization of the peninsula and that, in addition to many of the uses and customs that still remain in many of the villages in the area, has configured an agro-ecosystem closely linked to the Henares River with a great wealth of biodiversity.

At a time like the one we live in today, in which challenges such as climate change, poverty or gender inequalities are testing us as a society at a global level, the ways of reacting at the local level are of vital importance and, it is from this area, from which as individuals or small groups (associations, companies, cooperatives, etc.) we can get directly involved and feel that we are doing something to contribute to global initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, to face these challenges that at a personal level we may feel that they are too big for us. In this context, within the scope of the Henares River basin, from ESCUAN we are convinced that, from the field of Leisure and Free Time, all these values based on the environmental and social wealth of this environment can be transmitted and disseminated, and that from this field a multiplying effect can be caused in the population.

To this end, the proposal of this project is based on the realization of four courses for Leisure Time Instructors with specialization in Environmental Education and Nature Tourism in the Henares River Basin for, at least, 66 young people from the municipalities in the area (Community of Madrid and Community of Castilla La Mancha). The objective is for these people to complete their training in this field by obtaining the official title of Leisure Time Monitor, which already gives them the capacity to work in this field, but directing the training to acquire in-depth knowledge of the environment, tools to develop environmental education and local tourism activities and skills to work in different institutions and/or develop their own proposals to be developed in the area of work.

The percentage of participation of women in the project will be 60%, while the percentage of participation of other priority groups (sum of the rest of the groups except women) will be 85%.

At least 2% of those targeted will obtain employment.

The project will have an impact on the Natura 2000 Network.