How can we act in the face of climate change? It is with this major challenge in mind that the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès has chosen to act to promote environmental awareness amongst younger generations by inviting them to take get their hands dirty through a hands-on approach to the living world. Preparing and cultivating a plot of land enables them to discover the life cycles of soil, the rhythm of the seasons and the richness of biodiversity in all its forms. In this way, the Manuterra, Learning from the Living programme enables children and teenagers to reconnect with nature and to experience its beauty and fragility, as well as to understand the importance of environmental preservation.
Launched in 2021 by the Foundation in partnership with the Besançon school board and the Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France, the Manuterra programme invites classes of school pupils to create, prepare and cultivate a garden throughout the school year. Over the course of twelve 2-hour sessions overseen by a professional (such as a gardener, horticulturalist or market gardener) and an assistant, pupils from primary and secondary schools get to grips with the gestures, tools and skills of gardening. For the 2026-2027 school year, some 1,250 pupils from 50 classes across 16 school boards will participate in this educational programme, with the school boards of Aix-Marseille, Rennes and Toulouse participating for the first time this year.
Adopting an approach that looks to respect the natural balance of the soil, Manuterra teaches pupils how to cultivate the plots of land, from sowing seeds through to the final harvest. Over the course of the twelve sessions, a range of different topics are covered, such as the importance of pollination, approaches to water management and best practices for preserving biodiversity. This immersive, outdoors programme offers pupils another experience during class time, through a unique collective undertaking that helps them to gain awareness of the richness and complexity of our ecosystems.
