Ecological camp and forestry “Viking”

In June 1995 the school forestry “Viking” was founded by joint decision of the Viking-Nevo club and Smolensk Forest Department. The forestry “Viking” is assigned to the forestry of Zhukovsky region which is the part of the Smolensk Forest Department. The forestry “Viking” has 0,5 hectares for organizing the museum of forest in the open air and placing the ecological camp.

Sergey Suhoruchenkov, the leader of the Viking-Nevo club presides at the school forestry “Viking” also. At present time the forestry consists of six departments: forestry department, forest regeneration department, forest conservation department, department of information and agitation, and department of ecological education.

The joint members of the forestry “Viking” are the teachers and the children of the six Smolensk schools, of the “Yunost” (Youth) club and of two schools in Smolensk region. The leader of the forestry and heads of the departments plan their work in such way as to give to the active members the maximum of creative activity. At present time the school forestry “Viking” has 53 steady and over 200 joint members.

The school forestry “Viking” is the new way of youth ecological organizations in Smolensk region. The main goals of the school forestry follow the present-day understanding of the nature and its role in the life of people. The members of the school forestry are not only cognizing the forest essence but also take an active part in all ecological events of local and global scales. Their range of activity includes studying the home land and history using not only the theoretical knowledge but in a greater extent the active forms of learning such as excursion, camping trips and working camps.

The pedagogical stuff of the forestry “Viking” set the aim to form the collective with much environmental potential and which rely on the creative children and youth, on the personalities who combine the ecological competence with caring about the environment and have an active course of life in changing the nature ant the society. Over 20 graduates do not break off relations with the school forestry and continue to take part in the forestry’s activities during next level of studying.

In 1997 the school forestry “Viking” became the winner of the All-Russian competition “Podrost”.

Every year in June-July the Viking-Nevo club organizes the ecological camp on its territory in the forestry. Over 60 children and 10 teachers work in the camp during that time.

Organizing of the ecological camp has the following goals:

Give children the love of nature; help them to gain the necessary skills for contact with it.
Give the knowledge about nature of the Smolensk region, of its nature complexes and its stability to the anthropogenic load.
Acquaint with the main measures for the improvement of the human environment.
Help children to gain the necessary skills in camp living.
Give the habits of healthy life-style, the love of work and sport.

The Viking-Nevo club is managing these tasks successfully.