Eco Days were organized on 1st-3rd November in Syktyvkar, Komi Republic, Russia, to raise awareness of young people on environmental issues. Nearly 800 people took part in the Eco Days’ events related to nature protection, waste management and eco art.
Also the minister of natural resources and environmental protection of the Republic of Komi Yuri Lisin participated in the Eco Days’ events. “Nature and environmental protection has an important role in developing the Republic of Komi. It is important to involve young people, children and journalists to this work”, pointed out the minister.
Children watching wildlife documentary film during Komi Eco Days (Photo: Petteri Saario)
Science and art to conserve nature
As part of the Eco Days, round tables on nature protection were organized in all higher educational institutions of the city of Syktyvkar and the importance of developing the Barents protected area network was discussed. Eco shows for students and ethno-fashion show were in the program, as well. Residents of Syktyvkar were especially interested in the exhibition “What you can make of waste” which presented a large variety of items constructed from garbage.
Eco Days were visited also by guests from the Finnish Environment Institute and Finnish documentary director Petteri Saario who presented for the audience of Syktyvkar his outstanding films of Finnish nature. During his stay in Syktyvkar, Petteri Saario had a creative meeting with journalists filming and writing about nature. He also consulted the communicational agency “Travel around the Komi Republic” on the new documentary film of protected areas in Komi, which is produced in the framework of the Barents Protected Area Network (BPAN) project.
The Finnish guests visiting Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Komi during the Eco Days. From left: Head of the international cooperation Tatiana Tyupenko and Environment Minister Yuri Lisin, Ministry of Natural Resources of the Komi Republic; Director Petteri Saario, Wildfin; project assistant Ekaterina Laukkonen, senior coordinator Anna Kuhmonen and leading expert Tapio Lindholm, Finnish Environment Institute.
Also regional BPAN working group, represented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Komi, Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center, the NGO Silver Taiga and Terrestrial Fund for Information, had a meeting with the Finnish delegation back-to-back to this event.
Eco Days were organized by the Syktyvkar State University, the Komi Republican Academy of State Service and Administration, the Komi State Pedagogical Institute, the Syktyvkar Forest Institute, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and the administration of Syktyvkar.
Read more in Russian: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Komi Republic