| May 14th, 2024 | News

As part of the CAMCA project, CAMP Alatoo organized an event for schoolchildren (age 12-16) from the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions (north Kyrgyzstan). Students got to engage in citizen science and participate in a creative competition, highlighting conservation issues and concern for the future the animal and plant species around them. The contest theme was, “Me and the world of unique wild animals of my region.”

The aim of the contest was to draw children’s and teenagers’ attention to the problems of conservation of the plant and animal world, the disappearance of rare animal species, and their survival in the face of climate change, using the “citizen science” approach aimed at involving ordinary people in the process of collecting and analyzing biodiversity information. The creative “tournament,” which lasted for over 30 days, involved students from secondary and vocational schools in 17 villages of the project area.

As part of the contest, over 200 drawings, models, felt (wool) products, clay and stone works, essays, and poems were prepared. The leitmotif of the art works were wild animals, especially the snow leopard, depicted in their habitat, as well as landscapes and scenes of the nomadic life of the Kyrgyz people, created in watercolor and colored pencils. In prose and poetry, students expressed their thoughts on the threats and dangers faced by animals living in their native land, including from humans, and tried to answer the main question – how to preserve the animal and plant world.

According to Almambet Aitugulov, one of the contest participants, “animals and nature are very important to us because the Kyrgyz people have always lived in harmony with the surrounding world and environment. Therefore, we must preserve this culture,” the student said.

The culmination of the contest was a socio-educational exhibition held in late April at the innovative comprehensive school in the village of Ak-Terek, Jeti-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul region. The exhibition included about half of all contest works. 18 works were recognized as the best, and their authors were awarded commemorative prizes – books of fiction and educational literature.

Teachers who underwent training as part of the СAMСA project were also recognized for their active cooperation and dissemination of the knowledge gained among schoolchildren. They received letters of thanks from the project and imitation board games “Snow Leopard and Its Habitat” and “Adventures of Barsbek,” developed by the public foundation “CAMP Alatoo.”

The exhibition was attended by officials from the state administration and the education department of the Jeti-Oguz district, representatives of the “CAMP Alatoo” public foundation, students, teachers, and journalists.

Check out this video to learn more! Video (English subtitles)

“CAMP Alatoo” was established in 2004 as the successor to the Central Asian Mountain Partnership (CAMP). Its main goal is to promote sustainable development of mountainous (rural) regions and nature conservation in Central Asia. The “CAMP Alatoo” public foundation is one of the national partners of СAMСA. www.camp.kg, FB – CampAlatoo, Instagram – @campalatoo

Check out their website! Press Release from CAMP Alatoo