A significant environmental event centered on “Nature Protection in Ukraine” took place for the students of the Transcarpathian Regional Center for Children and Youth Creativity, known as “PADIUN”. The objective of this event was to deepen the children’s understanding of nature, and their home, and underscore that humans are an integral part of the natural world. The overarching goal was to instill a sense of care and responsibility towards the environment. To pique the student’s curiosity about the topics that would be discussed, they engaged in a guessing game involving keywords from an educational crossword puzzle.
The event commenced with a theoretical discussion led by Oksana Kremin, an expert from the Interreligious and Civil Environmental Forum of Eastern Europe. She introduced important concepts such as “landscape,” “botany,” “zoology,” and “hydrology.” Through engaging dialogue, participants explored and examined “Nature’s Book of Complaints,” addressing issues such as air pollution from vehicles, contamination of water bodies with toxic substances and household waste, and deforestation, among others.
In the practical part of the event, the students participated in environmental games and utilized a lapbook titled “Towards Zero Waste”, published by the Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies. They aimed to grasp the expression “Everything in nature is interconnected”, realizing the significance of their actions in preserving nature. To consolidate and organize their newly acquired knowledge, a test was conducted as a means of generalization and systematization.
As the session drew to a close, the young nature enthusiasts engaged in spirited discussions about their observations and the information they had absorbed. They collectively concluded that protecting and preserving nature is not merely a choice but a fundamental duty of every individual. They acknowledged that without responsible environmental stewardship, normal life on our planet would be untenable.
Daryna Dolgova, one of the students, expressed optimism about the evolving mindset toward environmental stewardship, saying, “Today, people are gradually starting to think about the future. Production is becoming cleaner and more waste-conscious. Energy-saving technologies are being adopted both at home and in public spaces. This positive shift in our approach to the environment fills us with hope.”
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
