"Let's Return the Bison to Our Nature!" ecological summer camp
IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan representation of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have launched the next ecological summer camp titled "Let’s Return the European Bison to Our Nature!" within the framework of the "Reintroduction of European Bison in Azerbaijan" program. The camp, which will host more than 70 schoolchildren from the villages of Bunud, Vəndam, Tüntül, Yengicə, Nohurqışlaq, Əmirvan, Bılıx, Topbağ, and Məlikli in the Gabala district, will be held in Gabala from July 19 to 21.
The main purpose of the "Let’s Return the European Bison to Our Nature!" summer camp is to inform young people about the European bison intended to be returned to nature and the importance of their conservation, to educate them on environmental issues from school age, and to foster a sense of appreciation and care for nature.
During the camp, participants will receive extensive information about the lifestyle of the European bison, the areas where they will be reintroduced, and their role in the ecosystem. They will also take part in seminars on the reintroduction project aimed at returning this rare species to our rich nature, as well as in various ecological research activities and competitions.
It should be noted that European bison have inhabited Azerbaijan’s rich nature for centuries. The last individuals of the species were observed in the late 20th century at the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. Due to ineffective population management, the species became extinct in Azerbaijan. In recent years, research conducted by leading regional and international scientists has revealed that favorable conditions for European bison exist in our nature.
On the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and leader of IDEA Public Union, a joint project on the reintroduction of European bison has been launched by IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and WWF Azerbaijan. Within the framework of the project, a complex is being built in the Shahdag National Park area for breeding and releasing European bison into nature. One of the most important directions of the project’s implementation is the education of the public, especially young people.
It should be noted that, on the initiative of 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 Gabala, Salyan, Neftchala, Goranboy, Samukh, Qakh, Shaki, Masalli, Jalilabad, Yardimli, Lankaran, Astara, and Goygol have participated in these camps.
