On October 23, 2022, an expert of the Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies (in cooperation with the German Nature Conservation Union – NABU Bundesverband NABU International), ornithologist, Leonid Pokrytyuk conducted an informative story for the children of IDPs on the topic “The nature of the environment”, where he introduced the generous gifts of the golden autumn.
First, as part of an informative excursion (conducted by the famous tour guide Maksym Adamenko with the assistance of the Charitable Foundation: “Voices of Children”, he got acquainted with the historical and ethnographic features of the area: “Dorobrativska Horotan”. This is a volcanic rock, from where you can see Palanok Castle and the Transcarpathian plain as far as Berehovo. Salt was boiled from brine in the oak forest, at the foothills of the “Hat” mountain. They visited a ranch with wild deer, wild boars, and ostriches. After that, they visited the unique church of Nicholas the Wonderworker (St. Nicholas), where Fr. Serhiy talked about the history of the construction of the church.
During each stop, Leonid Pokrytyuk paid attention to the nature of the environment. He used binoculars both from his equipment and donated to the volunteer center “Everyone can help” by the Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies (headed by Alexander Bokotey), for which Leonid is very grateful. He introduced tourists to the wild wealth of Transcarpathia: thickets of eagle fern, and a rich harvest of hawthorn, rosehip, and blackthorn. In the section ROBINSON’S KITCHEN, they discovered a salad plant – stonecrops and enjoyed beech nuts.
The children expressed a desire to go and collect beech nuts in the forest, as they prematurely consumed all the nuts prepared for the excursion. We found many mushrooms in the woods and got acquainted with their species. The participants were extremely happy to meet fire salamanders. During the excursion, Leonid always emphasizes the responsible attitude toward God’s Creation – Nature.
Such educational tours for youth and adults (among whom are many of the above-mentioned IDPs) are crucial, especially in these difficult times, because they help to switch from daily stressful situations to cognitive activities, thereby reducing the stress that Ukrainians are exposed to every day from war events.
Informational Service of IERS