<< Background >>Our experiences from previous projects have proved to us that transnational collaboration is valuable. “Differences are a good base for innovation” is a saying we have based some of our EU-funded projects on. Once again, we want to join forces with like-minded and ambitious actors in Europe, trying to make a difference within the field of Vocational Education and Training. Our focus this time is on horticulture and cultural heritage, and how we can support lifelong learning by creating flexible learning pathways for vocational skills within garden conservation. Two of the major crises that characterise the third decade of the 21st Century - Covid and Climate Change underpin the need for this Erasmus + project. With green spaces playing a major role in our health and well-being during the covid crisis, it is ever more important that we have the skills to protect them from climate change, as well as the knowledge of sustainable techniques to reduce carbon emissions whilst doing so.Heritage gardens encapsulate a significant amount of the natural and cultural capital that sustains us during a time of crisis: tranquility, beauty, productivity and biodiversity. Safeguarding these values require knowledge and skill that is in increasingly short supply.<< Objectives >>CSGC aims to address this problem by finding best practice in the various fields of Garden Conservation and sharing it via the diverse bodies of Vocational Education and Training as well as professional horticultural associations. Whilst some nations have retained expertise in certain specialisms, others have not and are searching for guidance, whilst yet more have been researching the increasing relevance of historic techniques to our current challenges. This knowledge deserves wider dissemination if we are to build the necessary expertise throughout the European Union and beyond.<< Implementation >>We aim to use the latest developments in mixed reality and virtual learning to allow a wide range of participants to share in this expertise. An all-day winter webinar will introduce each topic, followed by a range of videos/simulations/animations to explore the practical skills required. A smaller number of participants will then visit the chosen craft skills centre attending workshops, using sustainable transport options, to practice those skills in the field and bring them back to disseminate to colleagues and fellow students. The digital approach will be followed throughout the project and beyond.<< Results >>The easily accessible curricula and videos will be the tangible results and outcomes, developed by combining traditional craft skills and digital tools. Adding some innovation into Vocational Education and Training, we are aiming for increasing the relevance for the current and future students and lifelong learners. This Erasmus+ project also focus on improving the competence of educators, both in the horticultural and digital field. At the end of this three-year project we aim to see a growth and spread of such expertise throughout Europe, so that more local craft skills centres emerge, avoiding the need for expensive travel. The information gathered during the webinars and workshops will also be freely available on the Internet. The training resources (curricula, videos, animations and simulations) will be accessible to all, thus positioning the craft in a much broader sphere for diverse audiences. Ultimately we hope to see further growth in the restoration of historic green spaces that can then form the focus for community participation, particularly amongst disadvantaged people who stand to gain so much from this important resurgence of green skills.