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| Our Field Ecology Center published more than
180 methodical materials for nature studies. Some of them are in English: |
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ABOUT ASSOCIATION "ECOSYSTEM"
Dear colleagues,
Here I want to greet you in the name of thousands of Russian ecologists and educators
and their students, working in the field of environmental education, ecological research
and the protection of Nature. All of us are united in the non-governmental organization
entitled The Eurasian Association of Youth Environmental Groups "Ecosystem".
This page contains some information about the main areas of our activity.
You are welcome to cooperate with us!
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Alexander S.Bogolyubov
President of "Ecosystem" Association
The main objective of the "Ecosystem" Association is the consolidation
of the environmental and field ecology education movement among
young people throughout Russia and the former Soviet Union Republics.
The "Ecosystem" Association unites teachers and administrators with their
classes, clubs, societies and other groups from: Young Naturalists Stations (552 in Russia
and about 200 in the former Soviet Union republics), ecological and biological education
centers (150), Clubs of Young Tourists (300), ecological clubs at schools (about 350),
universities (160) and public youth environmental groups (about 120). Each of these clubs
and centers consists from 100 - 1500 young members and 10-50 teachers. Most governmental
and non-governmental youth environmental groups from all 89 administrative regions are
members of the "Ecosystem" Association. You can see the organizations united by
"Ecosystem" on the map of Russia:
Members of the Association use innovative methods of work with children: field
ecological investigation, scientific research, work in different large-scale and local
projects, participation in scientific research contests, field camps, expeditions and
nature trips in Russia.
The main "Ecosystem's" activities are:
- the training of teachers (conferences, seminars, training courses), working in
environmental education - both formal and non-formal, both out-of-school and within the
school system, with the aim of involving them in field environmental investigation and
scientific research with children;
- the collection and spreading of information about new developments in environmental
formal and non-formal education, about the methods of field studies, research and
practical environmental projects for children, new technologies in education, different
contests, conferences, and seminars all over the world;
- the publishing of new projects and the translation of foreign-language works, the
coordination of work on research and practical projects in different fields of biology,
geography and nature conservation;
- international contests of research and practical works of young naturalists in different
subjects of Biology, Geography and Ecology;
- carrying out conferences and school camps for the winners of the above contests;
- nature trips and expeditions throughout Russia, studying various habitats and their
natural history - animals, plants, and landscapes .
 Leaders
of the Association working in Moscow have great experience in carrying out different
activities for teachers and young ecologists, working in the last 10 years in different
governmental educational and scientific organizations. As an example, there are following
annual events:
For students: International and All-Russian Contests for young ecologists in
Ornithology, Botany, Water Ecology, Ecological investigation; International Youth
Ornithological Camp-School, All-Russian Camps in Geobotany, Water Ecology.
For teachers: The All-Russian Conference for teachers-zoologists, the
All-Russian Seminar for administrators of environmental education, teaching courses
"Use of field ecology methodology in environmental education".
The number of participants in each activity ranged from 20 to 60 students, and from 10
to 40 teachers. Beginning from 1995 we are carrying out all our camps and courses at our
own Field Ecological Center which is situated near Moscow, in
the middle of old coniferous forest.  At our Field Studies Center we carry out ecological
(environmental science, biology and geography) field
practices for Moscow city schools. In 1996-2005 there were more than 750 2-4 day field
practices for over 30 000 students (11-16 years old) from more than 100 Moscow city
secondary schools.
Especially for wild nature lovers and students we suggest field trips and expeditions to different
places of interest through the last wild regions of Russia (including summer field
curriculum practices for student biologists and geographers).
Among our Association members we have all the necessary facilities for tourists - local
hotels with rooms for 2-4 persons, hot water and bath or shower, restaurants with meals
three times a day, field trails for excursions, guides, biologists and geographers,
interpreters, buses for excursions, cultural programs in Moscow and other cities (visiting
theatres, circuses, national art museums, folk dances, old Russian villages, etc.).
As well as visiting local places we suggest a few "transcontinental" trips
through different nature zones of Russia. There are the trips by train to Siberia and Far
East and then by ship through the largest rivers in the World: Ob', Yenisei or Lena from
their upper parts in the South to their mouths in the North with short stops. The return
to Moscow is by air, followed by several days in Moscow.
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