With the support of VGP-FOUNDATION and in partnership with the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) in the Ukrainian Carpathians was implemented (01.10.2020 – 30.09.2021) a unique project “Youth School of Sustainable Development of the Carpathians” https://www.iers.org.ua / en / youth-school-for-sustainable-development-of-the-carpathians /. The project implemented several important activities necessary for the formation of environmental culture and deepening the environmental awareness of young people in the Carpathians.
With the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, all of Ukraine joined forces to defeat the aggressor. It seemed that the continuation of environmental education activities was impossible during the war.
But foresters, activists of environmental NGOs, together with priests in the Ukrainian Carpathians, at the initiative of the Institute for Environmental and Religious Studies (IERS) and the Interreligious Civil Environmental Forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF), which is the official partner of NABU in Ukraine on March 26, 2022, held a unique activity.
By planting forests, the initiators continued the traditions in the Carpathians establishing by the terms of the previous project with the support of VGP-FOUNDATION and in partnership with NABU and planted 5,000 oak seedlings in Vynohradiv State Forestry (near the village Shalanka). By planting a new forest during the war, NABU and VGP-FOUNDATION partners in Ukraine launched a series of environmental initiatives that will herald life, plant plans for a clean environment in the future, victory over the enemy, good over evil, hope for tomorrow, and set an example their activity for others.
Immigrants from the war zone also took part in the action on afforestation with great pleasure. It should be noted that the IERS and IRCEF teams from the first days of the war focused their efforts on supporting refugees, involving women and children in environmental activities that allow them to forget at least for a moment about the horrors of war and troubles with Putin’s aggression
https: // www.iers.org.ua/en/category/news-en/.
According to the latest data, more than 300,000 people, including about 150,000 children (https://uzhgorod.net.ua/news/166316), found themselves in the safest region of Ukraine – Transcarpathia region to adapt to the tragic changes in their lives. We are convinced that the systematic environmental work with young people planned by NABU partner organizations in Ukraine, especially with refugees, will enable them to better enter the usual rhythm of their lives and adapt to new living conditions in the westernmost and safest region of Ukraine – in the Carpathians.
We invite everyone to join our planned environmental initiatives in the future, as well as support us in the difficult conditions of Ukrainian realities.
Informational Service of IERS