Young environmentalists from Belarus, Russia gather in Brest

The participants of the 5th gathering of young environmentalists of Belarus and Russia “Environment Without Borders” were welcomed in Brest on 22 July. The gathering started from a patriotic campaign at the Brest Hero Fortress Memorial, BelTA has learnt.

The rally was timed to the 70th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from the Nazi invaders and the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The rally was held under the motto “Sacred flame of the Great Victory unites children and youth of Belarus and Russia”. Representatives of the delegations laid flowers at the Eternal Flame. State Secretary of the Belarus-Russia Union State Grigory Rapota sent a welcoming address to the participants of the rally. Taking part in the meeting were representatives of the Union State Permanent Committee, Belarus' Education Ministry, the environmental center Ecology and Local Lore.

The gathering brought together about 70 high school students from all over Belarus and a dozen Russian regions, including Bashkortostan, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Krasnodar, and the Mari El Republic. The theoretical part of the contest will be held at the Masherov Lyceum, the practical part will be conducted in Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. For three days the young people will work at field laboratories where the aspiring soil scientists, ornithologists, entomologists, botanists and hydro-biologists from the two countries will conduct individual and team studies in their field of expertise. Their knowledge and skills will be assessed by scientists and experienced educators from Belarus and Russia.

The program of the gathering includes thematic soirees, a quiz, an eco-disco, excursions across Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the nature museum, the Brest Hero Fortress, the palaces of Pruzhany, Ruzhany and Kossovo, the estate of the Belarusian Father Frost. The final conference “Study. Research. Experiment” will be conducted at the Masherov Lyceum on the last day of the gathering on 28 July. On this day research projects will be presented and winners will be awarded.

The gathering of young environmentalists from the two countries is held once in two years upon the initiative of the Education Ministry of Belarus and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The first gathering “Environment Without Borders” was conducted at Narochansky National Park in 2006.