Volunteers from 7 countries cleaned the springs near University Lake

27 July 2017

An international volunteer team arranged a spring zone along the University Lake in the ecological camp ECO CAMP TSU 2017. 15 volunteers from 7 countries gathered in Tomsk to share their experience of participating in volunteer projects and to improve the territory of the University Grove.

For two weeks, 10 international volunteers from Vietnam, India, Laos, Zimbabwe, Poland, and Japan, with 5 volunteers from TSU, have been working to improve the springs along the University Lake: They cleared the territory of rubbish and twigs, painted old ones and installed new benches, and helped clean the Grove.

- The most important thing that I realized here is the fact that people do not exist without nature. And the most dangerous creatures are not formidable lions or cobras, it's us, people! The more people explore the environment, the more they value it and, therefore, make efforts to preserve it. If this camp has changed me for the better, it will surely change you too. Let's make this world a better place, - says Martin Marere, a volunteer from Zimbabwe.

For the project participants, a rich educational program was organized, informal seminars, where everyone shared the experience of protecting the environment in their home countries. A PhD student of the Biological Institute, Ksenia Karbysheva, talked about protected natural areas in the Tomsk Region; Representatives of the movement "Green Ray" discussed the city's environmental projects. The participants also visited the Tomsk Collider forum and got acquainted with the Tomsk initiative for youth.

- The creation of an international team was very important for us. We once again became convinced that intercultural interaction sets a completely different atmosphere for the project. By combining young people from different countries, we were able not only to meet with their culture but also to exchange experiences and discuss important environmental issues. It is very pleasant to realize that, despite all the differences, we have a large number of points of contact, - says Anastasia Omarova, the camp leader.