In environmental education exist lendable materials for field research in form of backpacks or boxes. At “experience points” the materials are unpacked by the excursion leader and distributed to the participants. Normally not all materials are available for every participant, thus independent learning is not possible. The distribution and re-collection of the materials take up time. The participants perceive the distance between the “experience points” only as a bridge until the next “event”.

What was needed was an instrument that is easy for children to handle, that allows them to slip into a new role (that of the discoverer) and at the same time is easy to handle for Nature Parks.

At the start of the project, there was a partner who manufactured the vests and distributed them through his store. This meant that the entire logistics normally done by the VDN were outsourced and there was additional advertising for the Nature Parks.
Later, the VDN took over the entire logistics and now produces and distributes the vests itself.

The first step was to find a producer for the vests, with whom the prototype of the vest was developed. When this producer left the project, the vest was revised based on the experience gained and a new own producer was found.

Gießen University, Department of Biology Didactics

Currently, over 8,600 of these vests are used in various Nature Parks in Germany and other European countries.

Finding a manufacturer for the vests.

The idea of the «Discoverer Vest» quickly became a huge success. The main problems are the production of the vests under fair conditions at affordable prices and the logistics with ordering, storage and shipping.