Science is not just something that happens far away from everyday life. It is in what we breathe, what we drink, what we put on our skin, what medicines are made from, how we deal with waste, and what raw materials the world around us is built from. Sometimes it starts with an ordinary stone, sometimes with a drop of water, a particle of dust or a material we cannot even see with the naked eye.

This was exactly the connection we wanted to show students during another GreenGate excursion to VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava. With a group from the T. G. Masaryk Grammar School in Frýdlant nad Ostravicí, we visited the Geological Pavilion of Prof. František Pošepný, the laboratories of the Institute of Environmental Technology CEET and the Centre for Nanotechnology.

The programme was divided into two groups so that students would not be just listeners, but could get closer to real research, instruments and people from practice.

Geological Pavilion: minerals, oil, coal and gemstones

One of the stops was the Geological Pavilion of Prof. František Pošepný. Here, students entered the world of rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones, oil and coal.

Students were especially interested in rare and unusual minerals, gemstones, crystals, oil, coal and fossils. This also fit beautifully into inquiry-based learning. It is not just about saying: “Here is a mineral.” It is much more interesting to ask: How was it formed? Why does it have this colour? Where can it be found? What is it used for? How is it connected to industry, cosmetics, medicines or the environment?

Fluorite is connected to fluorine and fluorides, which many people know mainly from toothpastes. We associate calcium mostly with bones and teeth, but its compounds are also found in rocks, food supplements, some medicines and cosmetics. Gypsum is used to make plaster, which we know from construction, healthcare and dentistry.

And oil? Oil is not just fuel. Petroleum products are also connected with the production of plastics, synthetic materials, paraffin, petroleum jelly, mineral oils and other substances that may appear in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products.

We were a little curious about how students would react to the Geological Pavilion. After all, “rocks in display cases” may not sound like a top programme to everyone 😀:

“Tour of rocks.”

“The stone exhibition, because there were some I had never seen before.”

“Minerals, I really like them.”

“Tour of minerals.”

“Crystal display.”

“Minerals, they were interesting.”

“Interesting stones, a collection of rare and beautiful stones.”

“Dinosaur skeletons.”

CEET laboratories: air, water, waste and real research

Another part of the excursion took place in the laboratories of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies at VŠB-TUO. Students visited workplaces where topics directly connected to the environment are being researched.

During the excursion, we had a look into several laboratories, including:

• Air Protection Laboratory
• Water Laboratory and Trace Analysis Laboratories
• Heterogeneous Photocatalysis Laboratory
• Laboratory for the Preparation of Nanostructured Materials
• Laboratories for Energy Recovery from Waste
• Nanotechnology Laboratories

And this is exactly the moment when environmental topics stop sounding like general slogans. Air protection means dealing with what we breathe. Water and trace analysis laboratories show that even very small amounts of substances can be detected in the environment. Photocatalysis may be connected with the decomposition of certain pollutants. Energy recovery from waste opens up the topic of the circular economy and the question of whether waste always has to be only a problem, or whether it can also become a resource.

The Centre for Nanotechnology CEET also wrote about the visit of the students from Frýdlant nad Ostravicí in the article “From Classrooms to Laboratories: Secondary School Students Got a Look Behind the Scenes of Research at CEET”.

Centre for Nanotechnology: microscopes, glove box and liquid nitrogen

The Centre for Nanotechnology CEET was also a major part of the programme. There, students entered a world we cannot see with the naked eye, but which has enormous importance.

They were introduced to modern analytical and synthetic methods, electron microscopy, the preparation of new materials and their use in energy, catalysis and environmental protection. They were also interested in nanomedicine, energy storage and electrochemical systems, for example principles connected with batteries.

Students’ responses in the questionnaire to the question “What did you like the most?”:

“Nano microscopes.”

“Microscopes.”

“Nano microscope.”

“Laboratories and research.”

“Those interesting gloves.”

Those “interesting gloves” were most likely a glove box, a device used for working in a controlled atmosphere.

And then there was liquid nitrogen. Of course, that caught their attention too.

“Liquid nitrogen, it was fun.”

And honestly, I get it. Some things are simply impressive. But the important thing is that behind the effect, there is science.

When a good day continues: a lecture and Budkuj.me

And because it was a good day and I am always up for a meaningful activity, I also joined Budkuj.me. The idea was simple and great: to assemble a birdhouse or bird feeder, which would then be placed around the VŠB-TUO campus. Birds get another place for shelter, nesting or feeding, and the campus becomes a little more alive.

And how did my birdhouse turn out? You can see for yourself: 

And by the way, the “guy from England” also thought it was a good idea. He built one himself and even considered taking it with him.

It was honestly really nice. Practical, concrete and with an immediate result.

VŠB also wrote about the event in the article “Budkuj.me Brought New Birdhouses and Feeders to the Campus”. And yes, we will gladly share this. We like sustainability. And we like good actions too.

Why it all makes sense

Excursions like this are not just “a trip outside school”. They are moments when students can see science live. They can look inside laboratories, hear about research directly from people in practice, see instruments they would not normally see, and connect school topics with the real world.

The goal is not to turn everyone into chemists, geologists, nanotechnology experts or researchers. Although, who knows. Maybe this kind of excursion will spark something in someone. For me, it was once a visit to OZO Ostrava that probably guided me towards ecology and later towards studying environmental sciences. So yes, one good excursion can have a bigger impact than it may seem at first glance.

The goal is to show that science is not boring. That environmental protection is not just a slogan. That nanotechnology is not science fiction. And that geology is not just stones.