“Eco hackathon” retreat in Perm

Photo by Zoya Ilyinskaya

A one-week retreat was held at Perm State University research site of Preduralye located  in the valley of the Sylva river. The participants included  kids  from the Center for children without parental care and schoolchildren from Perm school No 41.

As  explained by the  Ecology and Nature Management Department of Perm City Administration, hackathon is the forum whereby the experts from a variety of areas have to find a solution for a problem working jointly and within a limited period of time.  The Eco-hackathon participants were selected through an on-line competition titled “What I know about Nature” organized by “Friedman’s Science Collaboration Center “. As a result, 10 participants from the Center for children without parental care and 10 schoolchildren from Perm School No41 were invited to take part in the retreat. 

The 6 days were filled with  numerous events related to promoting biology and ecology knowledge,   tours and leisure activities, psychology workshops.  The children experienced the ecology route, enjoyed climbing to the White  Fang Mountain, visited the eco-house, enjoyed the beauty of local nature. 

All the participants received the gifts from the hackathon partner – Perm branch of Nestle-Russia.  The Eco-hackathon concluding  activity was rafting down the Sylva River from the Preduralye site to Yermak Stone  organized by “Eco-tour” NGO, the  long-term partner of the hackathon. 

– The participants hold a brainstorm on finding a solution to a vital problem of natural territories pollution, showing an excellent  understanding of the issue. However,   the main prize and the winner’s certificate went to only one of them -Ivan Golyamzin, for his outstanding performance, noted the organizers. 

The retreat was organized by  Perm City branch of All-Russian Nature Protection Society  and its partners, namely : Friedman’s Science Collaboration Center, Pre-school Education Department of Perm Pedagogical University, Environment  Protection Department  experts from Perm State University under “Opening up nature mysteries” project,  “Save and Multiply” project funded as the winner  of XXIII city competition  “The City is Us”.