Communicating climate change, ecosystem services, and land degradation to children is a challenge that requires both scientific accuracy, constructive simplicity, and imagination. The SMILES Comic Book: Ecosystem Services Treasure Hunting in the European Islands, is based upon work from COST Action (SMILES, CA21158), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) and offers a compelling response by using storytelling as a gateway to sustainability education. Through a narrative led by children and grounded in real island landscapes, the comic translates complex environmental concepts into experiences that are accessible, engaging, and deeply connected to place.

The story follows a group of young protagonists on a treasure hunt across small and medium-sized European islands, including Crete, Limnos, Cyprus, and Malta. Each location introduces a different dimension of ecosystem services and highlights the pressures these fragile island ecosystems face under climate and land-use change. Rather than presenting ecosystem services as abstract categories, the comic embeds them in everyday island settings, allowing young readers to understand how nature supports food production, cultural identity, climate regulation, and biodiversity. This approach reflects an active learning philosophy in which children are encouraged not only to read but also to observe, reflect, and relate the story to their own environments.

Among others, a particularly meaningful moment in the comic occurs in the Cyprus chapter, where the characters discover a message hidden within a terraced vineyard landscape in the Troodos Mountains. This scene introduces regulating ecosystem services through the lens of soil erosion and sustainable land management in steep terrain. The accompanying scientific explanation emphasises that traditional terracing reduces surface water flow and landscape connectivity, thereby significantly limiting soil erosion and supporting sustainable agriculture. This message directly resonates with the objectives of the REACT4MED project, which focuses on reinforcing Mediterranean resilience through nature-based solutions and the revitalisation of traditional land management practices.

The SMILES Comic Book characters at the terraces of Troodos Mountain, Cyprus.

In the context of REACT4MED, terraces are not simply historical features but functional infrastructures that integrate cultural heritage with environmental regulation. By including terraced agriculture in a children’s comic, the SMILES initiative subtly reinforces the idea that long-standing Mediterranean practices remain relevant to contemporary challenges such as climate adaptation, soil conservation, and water management. The comic, therefore, acts as a bridge between research and society, translating applied scientific knowledge into narratives that can shape environmental awareness from an early age.

This connection between education and research is further strengthened through the implementation of the comic within interactive learning environments. Educational participatory activities developed by colleagues and Smiles members at the Hellenic Mediterranean University, led by Dr Irene Christoforidi (SMILES WG6 Leader), have actively engaged children and young people in creative reflection on ecosystem services. Notable examples include the “Fascination of Plants Day” public outreach events organised in Crete, which attracted more than 2,500 participants, as well as the ERASMUS student visit and the participation in the summer school on “Climate crisis and biodiversity” at the Psiloritis Geopark, during which children were introduced to island ecosystem services and nature based solutions through the SMILES comic. In these contexts, participants were encouraged (through facilitated communication and dialogue activities, or through drawing exercises for younger children) to contribute their own perspectives on cultural, provisioning, regulating, and supporting services, reinforcing the role of youth as active contributors rather than passive recipients of knowledge.

Implementation of the SMILES comic in interactive learning environments during the “Fascination of Plants Day” public outreach event held in Crete on 18 May 2025, engaging over 2,500 participants.

ERASMUS students visiting HMU, introduced to island ecosystem services and nature-based solutions through the SMILES comic.

The broader significance of the SMILES comic lies in its capacity to complement projects such as REACT4MED by working upstream, at the level of awareness, values, and understanding. Mediterranean islands and coastal regions face accelerating pressures from climate change, land abandonment, and ecosystem degradation. Addressing these challenges requires not only technical solutions but also societal engagement and intergenerational knowledge transfer. By embedding concepts such as terracing, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience into an accessible narrative, the comic helps cultivate a shared language around sustainability that connects children, researchers, and local communities.

Another noteworthy innovation was that, in the creation of the comic (character development and script), the scientific team collaborated with three adolescents, engaging them as youth voice stakeholders. Available in six languages (Greek, English, Italian, Spanish, Frensh, Turkish) and with further translations underway (https://cost-smiles.eu/), the SMILES comic demonstrates how art, education, and science can intersect to support sustainable development goals in island and Mediterranean contexts. Through this approach, it offers a reminder that pathways to resilient landscapes can begin with stories, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation of the living systems that shape everyday life.

SMILES is a COST Action aiming to Enhance Small-Medium IsLands resilience by securing the sustainability of Ecosystem Services. SMILES Action is joining together scientists from 18 different countries in six Working Groups focusing on the assessment of small-medium island ecosystems, examining their ecosystem services, and the effects of land use and climate changes on these ecosystems. Their goal is to synthesize and strengthen the knowledge base for conservation of island realms and contribute to their sustainable development. The SMILES COST Action (CA21158) is supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST is a funding agency for research and innovation networks, connecting research initiatives across Europe and enabling scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers, boosting their research, career and innovation.