Save the forest by collecting garbage after spending your time in nature

We need the forest to breathe, it is home to birds, animals and other forest inhabitants. In the forest you can walk and enjoy its beauty, especially in autumn, when trees “change their clothes” in yellow, red and gold dresses, pick up berries and gather mushrooms. This is how the pupils of the 2^nd -4^th grades of the branch of the Perechyn Lyceum Primary School and of the 5th grade of the Perechyn Lyceum answered the question “ What is a forest needed for” during an environmental event held on October, 28^th which was conducted by Ruslana Dzhakhman, a senior researcher of the nature sector of the Transcarpathian Regional Museum of Local Lore named after T. Lehotsky.

The children have also learnt about the main species of forest trees in the Transcarpathian region, where the oldest trees grow there, why it is necessary to protect old trees and other useful and instructive information. Much attention has been paid to urgent problems of the forest: fires, deforestation, poaching and enormous amount of garbage to be unfortunately found almost everywhere.

The researcher told the students about the impact of waste on the environment and gave examples of birds’ nests, where ornithologists can find a lot of polyethylene plastic and other household waste very often nowadays.

The easiest thing each of us can do is not to leave our garbage in the natural areas, sort out and give a second life to waste. The children made wonderful flavoured compositions in glass jars and learnt out that household items can be reused.

The event was held within the project “Let’s protect forests (environmental activities of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus)”. The project has been implemented by the Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies (headed by Oleksandr Bokotey) in cooperation with the Green Freedom Ecosocial Association (Michal Chomiuk, Poland) with the participation of the Commission on Ecology of MGCE (Mukachevo Greek-Catholic Eparchy). It is co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation under the RITA program – “Changes in the Region”, implemented by the Foundation “Education for Democracy”.