"Let's Protect the Leopards!" ecological summer camp

On July 5–7, within the framework of the "Conservation of Caucasian Leopards" project, the IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) held the next ecological summer camp titled "Let's Protect the Leopards!" The camp, which was attended by more than 70 schoolchildren from the Masalli, Astara, and Lankaran districts, took place in the village of Garibler in Masalli district.

The main goal of the "Let's Protect the Leopards!" summer camp is to inform young people living near the natural habitats of the Caucasian leopard about this rare species and promote its conservation, educate them on environmental issues from school age, and cultivate a sense of care and appreciation for nature.

During the camp, participants received extensive information about the lifestyle of leopards, the areas they inhabit, and their role in nature. They also took part in seminars on the conservation of this rare species, as well as in various ecological research activities and competitions. The schoolchildren were also shown the documentary film "The Most Wanted Leopard in the World," directed and filmed by nature photographer and director Adrian Stern. Later, an excursion to the Hirkan National Park, where leopards naturally reside and are specially protected in Azerbaijan, was organized for the camp participants. In the park, participants also became acquainted with the relic-origin flora belonging to the third geological period.

It should be noted that, on the initiative of the IDEA Public Union, camps on environmental and biodiversity topics have been regularly organized every year since 2014. During this period, more than 300 schoolchildren from the districts of Salyan, Neftchala, Goranboy, Samukh, Gakh, Sheki, Masalli, Jalilabad, Yardimli, Lankaran, Astara, and Goygol have participated in these camps.