GeoKids: Young Explorers Discovering the Floristella-Grottacalda Mining Park

April 12, 2025 – Floristella-Grottacalda Mining Park

A journey into the heart of Sicily’s geological and industrial heritage, through nature, play, and memory.
On April 12, 2025, to mark the 200th anniversary of the first mining concession in Floristella, the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark hosted a special day in one of its most symbolic sites: the Floristella-Grottacalda Mining Park, one of the most important examples of industrial archaeology in Southern Italy.
The event, titled GeoKids: Young Explorers Discovering the Floristella-Grottacalda Mining Park, engaged children and families in an immersive experience of history, geology, and landscape discovery.

A Day of Play, Discovery, and Awareness
The true protagonists were the children: young explorers who, with backpacks on, led adults and companions through a step-by-step path in the park, closely observing the remnants of the mining past and the geological wonders protected by the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark.

Through guided hikes, animated storytelling about the history of sulfur mining, traditional games, and open-air discussions, children and adults discovered the deep connection between people and the land, between past and future.

The Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark as an Open-Air Classroom
The Si.M.Geo Project – Ecomuseum System of the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark promotes a new vision of environmental education: experiential, participatory, and inclusive.

Events like GeoKids are an opportunity to:
• bring younger generations closer to geology and local history
• foster a sense of belonging and respect for the land
• present the Geopark as a living landscape, where nature, culture, and memory intertwine.

The Value of Memory Today
Celebrating 200 years of Floristella is not just a commemorative moment, but a way to reactivate collective memory and pass down stories and lessons that still resonate in our present lives.
GeoKids proved how play and storytelling can become powerful tools for education and active citizenship.