The Wetland Functions Modeling Contest

Eligibility:

• The competition is open to school students, age 6 to 19, from countries participating in the Restore4Life (R4L) project (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Armenia, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden, Ukraine).
• Each participating country can submit a maximum of 3 teams for the contest.
• To participate, you need a direct invitation from one of the project partners.
• To register, please complete the following Registration form.

Project Requirements:

For students age 15 to 19 years old (start from the dedicated scenario for your group of age):

• Wetland Model: Each team must design and create a functional wetland model that demonstrates one of the wetland functions. The model could be represented by physical models or computer models.
• Video Documentation: Each team must create a short DIY video (maximum 5 minutes) that shows:
  • The process of creating the wetland model
  • Explanation of the wetland function the model demonstrates
  • The team’s understanding of wetland functions and the importance of floodplain restoration

For students age 11 to 15 years old (start from the dedicated scenario for your group of age): 

• Wetland Hero boardgame: the game must highlight how the hero, through one of the functions of a wetland, can save the day

or

• Wetland hero movie: Each team must create a short creative video (maximum 5 minutes) that shows:

• The Hero and his/ her team

• The setting stage where the action is taking place and the problem that needs to be solved
• The explanation of the wetland function that is to be demonstrated

For students age 6 to 11 years old (start from the dedicated scenario for your group of age):

• Wetland Picture Book: Each team must design and create a book (minimum 10 pages) about the life of different animals living in wetlands. The book should describe the natural environment and the interactions with the specific animals are living in a wetland.

Materials:

All material used should be as much as possible from recyclable, reusable sources.

Submission Guidelines:

• Model: The wetland model should be functional, representing the researched wetland function clearly and creatively.
• Video: The video should be no longer than 5 minutes and must include:
  • An introduction to the wetland function being demonstrated
  • A step-by-step explanation of how the model was built
  • A conclusion on the importance of wetlands and floodplain restoration
  • The video should be well-edited, engaging, and informative.
• Boardgame: after creating the boardgame the team must play a round to demonstrate the rules of the game and send a video recording of them playing
• Wetland hero short movie: 
  • The movie should be no longer than 5 minutes
  • The movie should be well-edited, engaging, and informative.
• Wetland Book: The book is created by primary school students and scanned by teachers in order to be submitted.
• Submission: All videos must be submitted by the deadline. Late submissions may not be considered.

Evaluation Criteria:

Teams will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Understanding of Wetland Functions: The team’s ability to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the ecological functions and importance of wetlands. 
• Technical Accuracy: The model’s functionality in terms of the wetland function being demonstrated (e.g., how well it simulates water filtration or flood control).
• Innovation and Creativity: The originality and ingenuity of the wetland model.

The weight of each criterion is as follow:

• Innovation and Creativity – 50%
• Wetland Functions – 30%
• Technical Accuracy – 20%

All the models/ videos submitted before the deadline will be evaluated by a panel of experts from the Restore4Life project and outside the project. 

The winning teams will be announced on the Restore4Life website.

Important Dates:

• Team Registration Deadline: 31st of January 2026
• Contest Submission Deadline: 31st of May 2026
• Projects evaluation and Results: 31st of June 2026