Orysia Krechko, a dedicated biology teacher at Turye-Remety Secondary School and an activist of IRCEF, led a captivating excursion for seventh-graders to explore the species diversity of primroses in the natural habitat surrounding their village. Together with the students, she chose to venture to a nearby location where an abundance of snowdrops had flourished the previous year. Despite their diligent search efforts, the group was disappointed not to find a single snowdrop this time. The students thought that the decrease in snowdrop population might be because many flowers and bulbs were being uprooted, and there was a lot of littering in the area.
During the excursion, students explored a variety of wildflowers, including violets, two-leaf squills, dead nettles, and marsh marigolds, despite the absence of snowdrops. They marveled at the beautiful blooms of greater celandine and, for the first time, observed sorrel growing in the wild, discovering that it thrived beyond just garden settings. Some students, driven by curiosity, were intrigued enough to taste the sorrel they encountered in the natural environment.
The students were captivated by a picturesque coniferous plantation, which served as a scenic backdrop for their exploration of local flora. The seventh-graders were fascinated by the concept of conifers emitting phytoncides, which are believed to have health benefits, as they recalled their knowledge from biology classes and previous excursions. They were eager to spend time surrounded by these trees and listened intently as the teacher discussed the medicinal properties of celandine, which grows beneath the conifers. They also decided to visit a different snowdrop population in another part of the village during their next lesson, excited to further explore the natural world.
The event was held within the framework of cooperation between the Interreligious and Civil Environmental Forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF) headed by Olexander Bokotey) and the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU Bundesverband, NABU International), project coordinators Ivan Tymofeiev (NABU), and Nataliya Kulya (IRCEF).
Informational Service of IRCEF
