Students in grades 5–7 and 9 at the Velyka Uholka Lyceum explored the mysteries of the autumn forest, studied meteorological instruments at the central farmstead, and got to know the inhabitants of mountain rivers at the trout farm.
Young researchers from the Tyachiv District spent two days immersing themselves in the world of wildlife in their native region. Students in grades 5–7 and 9 at the Velyka Uholka Lyceum participated in a comprehensive environmental education program held at the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve on November 10–11.
The press service of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve reported on the students’ educational trip.
From the “Center of Europe” to the trout farm: how the quest unfolded
The highlight of the two-day excursion was the interactive field quest “The Autumn Forest of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.” The quest route ran from the “Center of Europe” ecological and educational center to the demonstration trout farm.
As they made their way along the route, the high school students had to apply their ingenuity, teamwork, and knowledge of natural sciences at several themed stops:
- Interactive stations: students identified tree species based on ancient legends, unraveled the mysteries of the mushroom kingdom, identified natural objects by touch and smell, solved fall-themed crossword puzzles, searched for plants based on biological descriptions, guessed the forest “homes” of wild animals, played the “Fact or Fiction?” quiz, and hunted for the “Lost Treasure of November”;
- Getting to Know the Inhabitants of Mountain Rivers: At the quest’s final location, the children toured a demonstration trout farm and learned from experts about the life habits of brook trout and other rare fish in the cold mountain waters of the Carpathians.
A meteorology lesson, an eco-trail, and a nature museum
In addition to the quest, the students’ program at the nature reserve included several other educational stops:
- Hands-on session at the weather station: at the reserve’s main estate, Natalia Andriychuk, a lead engineer at the environmental monitoring laboratory, conducted a hands-on lesson for the high school students. She demonstrated how professional thermometers, data loggers, a weather vane, and a rain gauge, and explained how scientists have been recording climate changes for decades in the reserve’s main document—the “Chronicle of Nature”;
- Nature Trail and Museum Exhibition: The students also walked along the marked “Respect Nature” nature trail and visited Ukraine’s only Museum of Mountain Ecology and the History of Natural Resource Use in the Ukrainian Carpathians.
The reserve notes that such hands-on approaches to environmental education allow children to go beyond the pages of school textbooks and realize, through their own experiences, the fragility and value of Transcarpathia’s mountain ecosystems.
Source and photo: Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.
