The project «With a backpack on the trail», which received support from the Foundation for Presidential Grants, brings up respect for nature among children.
Over the years, the Great Baikal Trail has been building trails around Lake Baikal and contributing to the conservation of the lake’s ecosystem. Trail, what is it? Why do you need to walk exactly along the path and what can you see around you if you become a little more attentive? The Lake Baikal Foundation, which supports scientific and educational projects in the Baikal region, decided to help answer these questions to children: the project «With a backpack on the trail», born on the trail in literal sense, grabbed the attention of the Lake Baikal Foundation in the beginning, and then thanks for the efforts of the Foundation team and the Great Baikal Trail, we won a presidential grant.
The organizers set a goal to get children acquainted with the unique nature of their native land, to take them along the eco-path so that the mini-trip became unforgettable and remembered forever. Today, the lesson participants are children, and tomorrow – adults, who are responsible for the surrounding fragile world around Lake Baikal. The format of the hike, in which the children went with a backpack, allowed making the lesson cognitive and emotional.
During the lessons with the help of the backpack, the children immersed in the knowledge of the nature of their native land. In a backpack specially prepared for the project, the child could find a workbook, guide to plants, birds, and weather, colour and graphite pencils, a pencil sharpener, a pen, ruler, compass, magnifying glass, binoculars, tape measure and a walking mat. The guys learned how to get bearings with the help of a compass, learned about the rules of behaviour in the forest, and also tried to distinguish the sounds of animals, birds and the smells of trees with closed eyes. After the mini-hike all discoveries were recorded in a workbook with thematic tasks, which the students took with. As a present, each child received a bright book by Alexander Tkachenko «Baikal. Transparent Wonder of the Plane», which will be a reminder of a wonderful time spent and once again make they think about the need for careful attitude towards amazing nature of our native land.