February 11 in the Ministry of Education of Russia the results of the final second round of the First Forest Olympiad were summed up.

On the presentation winners were named, and best works in all the categories of the second round of the Olympiad were exhibited. The first round, on which finalists were revealed, was held in the regions. In the second round the competent jury chose the winners from among the finalists.

With complementary address spoke Marina Knyazeva, the assistant of the head of the Department on Education Development of the Ministry of Education of Russia. She said that schoolchildren, who took part in the Olympiad conduct real, serious work, which results are necessary and represent the basis for further, "adult" work of these children.

Svyatoslav Zabelin, the co-chairman of the Council of ISEU, the editor-in-chief of the journal "Vesti SEU" has also emphasized that the children's competitive works were performed at the high level.

Such significant results could not be achieved without great work of the instructors and teachers. There is a significant part of their work in prizes of their students.

Eugeniy Saburov, the chairman of working group "Social Resources in Education" has pointed out, that the Forest Olympiad became a part of process when two systems come close: the state system of education and public initiatives. This process should become the benefit first of all for the students. Mr. Saburov believes that today's schoolchildren are to work already not in technosphere, but in the sphere of intellect, noosphere, and such a work requires all-round education.

The Forest Olympiad was exactly such all-round measure: the categories of competition were both "scientific" and "artistic". Moreover, the Olympiad has shown the conditional character of such division - the authors of prize-winning verses from of Odyntsovo high school (Moscow region) at the same time conduct scientific researches.

Realization of the school Forest Olympiad can be considered to be one of elements of large-scale program "Oaks of Eurasia" - the program for conservation and restoration of broad-leaved forests. "Schoolchildren proved themselves as a real force, which able to in a condition to undertake serious solution of big problem. Now the participants already to made their contribution on solution of the problem of broad-leaved forests renewal, - and when they planted trees, and when they investigated the reasons of disappearance oak woods in their home regions, and when they invented the ways for correcting the situation," - said Vladimir Zakharov, the chairman of organizing Committee of the Olympiad.

The competitions were held in five categories and in every of them were winners. Quality and variety of works have put the jury in difficult situation. It was very difficult to prefer one or another work. For this reason in some categories there were two first or two second places. Many works received special prizes. It would be desirable to note everyone, but nevertheless this is the competition.

Often the first places were divided among two very different works - one was scientific research and other - was like fascinating environmental and local lore detective with illustrations: archive and historical data and interview to the local inhabitants, and work young pathfinders were included in the work ("In Search of Pans' Oak Grove", Belarus, the category On Traces of Oak Woods).

Such variety of works in competition was also one of the purposes of the Olympiad: to reveal the non-traditional unconventional, informal, fascinating approaches to the problems and ways of their solution.

For this reason some works were awarded by special prizes. For example, the work "Brys Goes On a Path" presented by children from Belarus - it was the "ecological path" in comics. Another special prize received the picture - caricature of the children from Lvov region: on that picture foresters and foreign businessmen were portrayed changing Carpathian forest for dollars.

Unfortunately, on the rewarding were able to come only participants from the geographically closest regions: winners from Moscow, Moscow region and neighboring areas. The diplomas, prizes and presents to other winners will be sent by mail.

In near future the organizers of the Forest Olympiad also going to make the works, which took part in the competition, accessible in the Internet. Most interesting works will be also published in the "Young Naturalist" journal, and in periodicals of environmental organizations.

Tatiana Saksina, Vladimir Zakharov

For further information:
oaks@seu.ru

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