The Interreligious and Civil Environmental Forum for Eastern Europe (IRCEF) and the Transcarpathian Regional Museum of Local Lore named after T. Lehotsky collaborated to organize a birding session for children in Uzhhorod’s Pidzamkovy Park. Ruslana Dzhahman, a senior researcher in the museum’s nature branch and IRCEF ornithology expert, led the event with the assistance of teachers Maryna Tafiy and Tetiana Shcherbak. The children from “Main Point Camp” were taught how to observe birds.
Children got a rare opportunity to discover fascinating details about the different bird species found in Transcarpathia during the interactive event, as well as to observe the birds in their natural habitat like experienced birdwatchers do.
Mrs. Dzhakhman taught children how to identify the main bird species that inhabit Uzhhorod and how to study birds, recognize their behaviors and habits, and help birds in different periods. The children worked with special binoculars provided by the IERS to locate and see more birds in tree branches. They spotted a common house martin, a white wagtail, a pigeon, a hooded crow, a great tit, and a Eurasian treecreeper, and listened to the songs of a woodpecker and a Eurasian nuthatch during the event. The children examined each bird carefully, noting that many of them were being seen for the first time.
Another interesting activity for youngsters was examining insects in a jar with a magnifying glass. They carefully captured little insects and butterflies in the jar and looked at them under magnification without harming them.
This event not only increased the children’s knowledge of the avian world, but it also gave them excellent practice watching the environment. It was intended to encourage the young participants to spend more time outside, to pay attention to birds and other living beings in their surroundings, and to promote and increase interest in studying nature.
Mr. Martin Celuch, a long-time partner of IERS and a member of the Ecological Commission of the Roman Catholic Church of Slovakia, assisted in bringing the binoculars to the children’s study of birds and the region’s overall biodiversity. Martin has been consistently assisting Ukrainian activists for the past 20 years, for which we are grateful.
The event was held as part of the cooperation of the Interreligious and Environmental Civil Forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF) (headed by Olexander Bokotey) and the “Everyone Can Help” Volunteer Center with the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU Bundesverband, NABU International), project coordinators Ivan Tymofeiev (NABU), Nataliya Kulya (IRCEF).
Informational Service of IRCEF
