Environmental protection activities of the local student ecological club Eco-Life are known far outside Radekhiv. Every year young environmentalists choose a major topic that becomes an object of their attention throughout the year. Last year they studied the condition of a unique natural object – the Main European Watershed, which lies just outside Radekhiv, and learned a plethora of interesting things.
It all started with the already historical local lore essay “A Geographical-Static Description of Kamianets District” (1849) written by Yakiv Mykulayevych, a former people’s teacher from Radekhiv raion. As it turned out, after this publication no one else described the Radekhiv area so systemically and fully. So the first thing the members of Eco-Life did was prepare a few informational brochures and booklets with information about the Main European Watershed and its condition. To this end, they had to go to governmental institutions and archives, deal with local history specialists, and spend time in libraries. Most importantly, they made several local field trips. When they saw that some nooks were suffering under piles of litter – they rolled up their sleeves and loaded a few trucks. And on World Earth Cleanup Day they sent an informational leaflet to nearly every citizen of the city with an appeal to take care of nature’s purity.
They managed to do a lot of good things, while in some cases the nature-lovers hope to receive the support from the raion government. For example, the raion community and scholars supported the idea of placing an informational sign with the inscription “The Main European Watershed” by the Lviv–Lutsk highway near Radekhiv. The authorities promised to do it.
In order to sum up their work, Eco-Life members held a final round table to discuss economic problems of the watershed in Radekhiv’s museum of regional studies before the New Year. The fact that journalists, public activists, local history specialists, representatives of the local government and even scholars from Lviv visited the students shows that they recognize the quality and importance of the club’s activities. The discussion and exchange of opinions continued in the museum until late. What is important is that the topic of local nature protection was more interesting than the annoying politics.
In mid-January the entire community of Radekhiv had an opportunity to see “in pictures” the entire work of young ecologists. The local television and radio company Radekhiv in cooperation with Eco-Life released a local history film entitled “Ecological Situation of the Main European Watershed Near Radekhiv.” This is the second film about environmental issues that the students made together with adults. The first one was about the protection of the river Ostrivky and even earned a distinction at the festival “Know Ukraine.” During winter nights it is interesting to watch the development of nature from spring until late fall and recollect babbling streams and green grass on their banks. The film also contains many unpleasant examples of inappropriate and at times cruel attitude to nature. The young ecologists have new plans. They have distributed little ecological calendars to all their supporters. Now they carefully observe dormant winter nature, especially water objects. And the snow that covered the ground now makes them happy – there will be life-giving spring water. This year they are going to launch an informational School of Good Water.
Yurii Hubeni is a professor and deputy in Radekhiv city council.
