FAR FROM CHILDISH ISSUES

Were reviewed during the environmental and regional study conference Istoki (literally “Beginnings”) held on February 3, 2018 in Usogorsk village (Udora district of Komi). The conference was organized by the Silver Taiga Foundation under Model River Mezen project with the help of the Education Department of Udora district. The schoolchildren from Usogorsk, Vazhgort and Glotovo villages of Udora district participated in the conference as well as the representatives of the Usogorsk Children Activity Center and Komi Republican Ecological Center from Syktyvkar.

«We decided to make the conference environmental and regional at the same time as our beginnings include nature around us, history of our native village, house and our family. If people know their beginnings, they will live a happy life even if they will be far from their native places», this was the opening speech of the Silver Taiga Deputy Director, the chairman of the conference jury Valentina Semyashkina.

This year a wide variety of topics had been chosen by the schoolchildren for investigation. Among them are Mezen river diversion process, lamprey variety, traditional fishing gears, Udora district protected areas inventory. It should be noted that the report about the traditional fishing gears of Komi people was accompanied by the collection of the ancient fishing gears. There were also unusual works with the slope of literary studies. Two research works were devoted to Vashka and Irva rivers.

The conference juryAccording to the conference conditions, the schoolchildren from 7-11 forms are invited to participate, but every time there are children of junior school. This year the youngest participants were from the 4^th form of Usogorsk secondary school. Moreover, there was a research group consisted of junior and senior schoolchildren and they participated under general conditions. Their work devoted to Mezen and Udora paintings was highly praised. The schoolchildren were also very artistic and they presented a mini collection of different things decorated by Mezen and Udora figures themselves. So their work River Figures got the top position at the conference.

The second place was given to «Conservation of anseriformes migratory birds in the Republic of Komi» presented by Anna Kuznetsova, the representative of Komi Republican Ecological Center from Syktyvkar.

The work «How people did the laundry and wash the floors in the last century» prepared by Nina Uljanova from the 11^th form of Glotovo secondary school was in the third position.

The jury particularly noted the teamwork of the representatives from Usogorsk secondary school devoted to one of the local bogs. These schoolchildren are from the 4^th form only and that is why their work was out of competition.

«This year the level of the research works is a bit lower in comparison with the last year. However, the issues chosen by the schoolchildren are very interesting and the researches should be continued», – said the representative of the conference jury, Model River Mezen project coordinator Nikolay Shilov in the end of the conference.

After the formal part of the conference master classes on felting and Mezen paintings were prepared for children. Young researchers made tiny felt boots (valenki) and decorated wooden souvenirs by Mezen figures with great pleasure.

The representative of the Republican Protected Areas Center Margarita Shilova gave a lecture to the teachers about extracurricular environmental activities for schoolchildren.

Photos by Nadezhda Morozova

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