“Let’s Protect the Leopards!” 2021 Ecological Summer Camp was held
On July 14-16, the traditional “Let’s Protect the Leopards!” ecological summer camp was held, organized by the IDEA Public Union, the Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with the support of the Masalli District Executive Authority.
On the first day of the camp, which was attended by nearly 60 local schoolchildren, participants received extensive information about the lifestyle of leopards, their settlement history in our country, the areas they inhabit, and their role in nature. They took part in seminars on the conservation of this rare species, a presentation on the reasons for the decline of the leopard population, as well as various ecological competitions and biodiversity knowledge contests. In addition, schoolchildren were shown the documentary film “The Most Wanted Leopard in the World” by nature photographer and director Adrian Stern, along with animated films about the Sustainable Development Goals and ecosystem services.
On the second and third days of the camp, participants went on an excursion to Hirkan National Park, where inter-team ecological games were organized, exercises on identifying leopards and other fauna species based on footprints were conducted, and practical training on creating maps of the area was held. Schoolchildren were also instructed on properly arranging shelters in forested areas and on safety rules.
At the conclusion, camp participants were presented with certificates and commemorative gifts.
Initiated by the IDEA Public Union, camps on the environment and biodiversity have been regularly organized annually since 2014. During this period, approximately 500 schoolchildren from the Salyan, Neftchala, Goranboy, Samukh, Gakh, Shaki, Masalli, Jalilabad, Yardimli, Lankaran, Astara, Goygol, Lerik, Gabala, and Ismayilli districts have participated in the camps.
The purpose of these camps is to educate young people in the field of ecology, foster a sense of care for nature, inform schoolchildren living near the habitats of Caucasian leopards about this rare species, and promote its conservation.
