20 – Benefits of Crop Wild Relatives in-situ conservation to ruralcommunities – CWRs as a key player for active, innovative and outdoor rural education

The conservation ofCWRs is closely linked to rural communities, where land use change and rural depopulation can threaten in situ populations. The COUSIN Project demonstrates how participatory education initiatives between researchers and rural schools can raise awareness of CWR value, foster co-creation of learning activities, and strengthen the connection between biodiversity conservation and local communities.