We present you a story of the small guardians Kontići of the forest Kontia, located on the Istrian peninsuala near Vrsar. They are happy small creatures who loves nature and try to protect her, they are also ecologists who recycle waste from the forest. The story of the Kontići acts as an intangible heritage, with an emphasis on "loving homeland it learns from the small foot"based on the children. The story also mentions the material heritage as a monastery in Kloštra, the Mukaba fortress as well as Romuald's cave, and the same mythological being, Veli Jože, which is one of the symbols of children's literature in Istria. Through the story, point is on protect the forest/ nature , which children develop awareness of sustainable development and conservation of nature. In other mythologies in Europe there are creatures that also act in the preservation of their habitant like: Puca, Gnomes, Leshy and more others. We can say that the awareness of children has developed since ancient times, on nature conservation and sustainable development. Through storytelling, point is on nurturing native heritage, which is also a European one, why?Because the other mythical beings act in the preservation of nature, which is common to all of them, it can be said that each country has its own mythological creature.

We present you a Kontići family, who are living in the heart of Kontia under the old Honey oak tree. There is mum Ulika, father Bepo and their twin babies, Pjerina and Tonino. Bepo is a capable handyman and Ulika is a gardener. Their hobby is to recycle any rubbish they find in the forest, so Ulika uses it to make hotbeds forplanting seedlings. Bepo even used an old can to build a rocket mass heater. So they known practice of permaculture, which is a way ofliving that brings forth a harmony that could help mantain the planet’s health. For adventure Tonino and Pjerina’s parents have been taking them to a viewpoint up on Mukaba fort’s ruins, the Kloštar monastery, which once was a home of the monk Romuald, whose name was also given to a cave above Lim Fjord. After adventures and these stories who were told to little Pjerina ant Tonino, the family would often travel on an earthworm’s back all the way to Romuald’s cave, because it not only gave shelter to humans in need, but also to gnomes and animals alike, who used it to escape storms and bad weather, but forest fires, too. This is how the parents passed on their knowledge of nature and the Kontija reserve. Tonino would never leave his home without a magnifying glass in hand, which he used to study plants in his mother’s forest garden. His sister Pjerina, unlike Tonino, would spend her time wandering through different ruins, caves and around ponds. She would joke around with the animals, mimicking their calls, which would make them confused; and sometimes she would camouflage herself, blending in with the flowers, which, in turn, made Tonino confused. One day comes to fire by Kloštar and the wind is making it spread towards forest, so father Bepo have an idea that "Let’s gather our whole seed supply and spread the word to other gnomes and animals to run quickly towards Romuald’s cave."Or maybe a groundwater spring, because if the fire does reach Kontia, those will be our only sanctuaries. So the family ran to their friends and neighbours. the sound of gnomes’ warning trumpets, made out of deserted snail shells, filled the air. The birds heard this too, and so did the badgers, does, boars, rabbits, hedgehogs, pheasants, foxes, tortoises and nose-horned vipers. Some of them swiftly made their way to Romuald’s cave, while the brave gnomes, together with some animals, gathered water from the nearby ponds and underground springs, so they could soak the forest’s edge and stop the fire from spreading. This is how Kontići have saved the forest, all thanks to Pjerina’s, and her family’s courage. To this day, they still live underneath the old Honey oak, and around the tree, you can hear the little owls hooting. Many gnomes come and visit the oak and its dwellers, so they could learn more about the forest.

The European dimension of our story is based on immaterial heritage and sends a message about environmental preservation and awareness raising primarily among children. Environmental protection is becoming more a topic that has already been represented for decades. More and more laws on environmental protection are being introduced in the European Union, and through this approuch and fun activity and interactive way, knowledge is transferred to the youngest.