Environmental Camps Begin Work in Belaya Kalitva under the Alcoa Foundation Program “We Are in Charge of the Future


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News, June 2009.

Environmental Camps Begin Work in Belaya Kalitva under the Alcoa Foundation Program “We Are in Charge of the Future

The first exchange trip of the Alcoa Foundation Program “We Are in Charge of the Future” (Program operator – Fund for Sustainable Development) took place in June 2009. It included ten school students, activists of the Program, who joined the environmental group ECO Children at the Lastochka Children’s Summer Camp near Belaya Kalitva. A total of 45 children who live on areas of Alcoa Company’s presence in Russia – Belaya Kalitva and Samara (Kirovsky District) – attended a 10-day conservation training program during their stay at the camp.
Field studies and lectures were conducted for three groups of schoolchildren (9th – 10th grades, 7th-8th grades and 4th-5th grades) in three subjects: environmental soil sciences; hydrochemistry (measuring 6 chemicals contained in the water of three water sources – Seversky Donets River, a spring and the tap); and solid waste collection and disposal.
The studies were conducted by FSD consultants, researchers from Moscow State University, I. Martynenok and M.Rykhlikova, together with I.Konstantinova, biology teacher from School # 162 in Samara.

Students from the first and second groups were asked to create independent projects devoted to solid waste management. The first group designed a project “How would I manage waste in Belaya Kalitva if I were the mayor of the city” and the second group’s project was entitled “What would I do as a teacher to acquainted my students with modern waste processing methods and educate them as responsible citizens”. The third group of younger schoolchildren acted as the jury.
Along with the camp’s curriculum, other studies were organized at the camp on the following topicss: social projects (E.Bondarchuk, FSD projects manager); botanics (S.Vishnevetskaya, Rostov-on-Don); ornithology (Y.Sevruk); cohesion and teamwork (L.Kolotilina) from Zapovedniki Ecological Center.
The children used their new knowledge acquired in a variety of fields to develop three socio-environmental youth projects for Belaya Kalitva: Ecological Bus, Let’s Save the Steppe, and School Eco-Actions that were presented for the strict judgment of their peers who had approved these projects. The joint hikes and excursions helped the camp attendees better appreciate the nature of their land and to become aware of environmental issues, thus assuming a real responsibility for their own future.
At the closure of the camp the most active participants from the Eco-Children group and students and teachers from Samara, winners of the 10th National Teleconference “Children will Preserve Russia’s Nature”, received awards.

Article “Why Are We Here?” from the wall newspaper of the Lastochka Camp:
“Our shift is coming to an end, though it seems that we had met each other for the first time just yesterday. Each of us came here with their own hopes and expectations. Together with children from Belaya Kalitva and its outskirts, students and teachers from Moscow and Samara were also here. Studies began soon after our arrival. We have learned a lot of new interesting information about botanics, ornithology, soil sciences and hydrochemistry. We loved our creative work studies where real masterpieces were made of clay, fabrics and paint. We ourselves were surprised that we could produce such good things. Although we only stayed here for 10 days, we were lucky to form a wonderful and friendly team. Soon some of us will meet again in Samarskaya Luka, but that will be a different story…”

Nina Tishina (School # 133, Samara)
In August of the same year students, conservationists of the Program from Belaya Kalitva, took part in an environmental expedition 2009 Shelemekhskiye Wilderness to Samarskaya Luka National Park, where together with students from Samara they studied the nature of the Volga River region and took tests in hydrobiology, botanics and ornithology.
During the summer of 2009, almost 60 children, young conservationists from Samara and Belaya Kalitva participating in the Alcoa Foundation Program “We Are in Charge of the Future”, were trained in new environmental programs, acquired many new friends and learned how to conserve the nature of the land where they live.