“Nature of the City” EcoFest took place in Perm on June 3-4, 2022

Photo by Vitaly Koksharov

Residents and guests of Perm took part in a variety of activities – from “Eco-Volunteers” action to master-classes, as well as interactive locations, plenary discussions and workshops

As the festival organizers explained, the basic “meaning” of the event  was prompted by the image of the local river – Permyanka – flowing deep under the main location at the Esplanade.  The participants made their way along its “banks”  and were involved into thematic activities related to ecology issues. 

The first day of the EcoFest on June 3, 2002  started with an official opening  in the conference pavilion at the Esplanade, followed by a plenary discussion on the landscaping concept  for Perm city.

The space at the Esplanade was organized into a number of lecture areas, in one of them,  entitled “Divide and Celebrate” the participants learnt about the initiation and optimal ways of waste management, as well as “the informed consumption”. 

On June 3-4  the “ Eco-Volunteers” action   gave  the festival participants and city residents  the opportunity to choose and join one of over 20 ecology  initiatives, including creation of nature reserve areas, planting flowers in minor rivers valleys, placing birdhouses, helping animal shelters, etc. 

– It was for the first time that in the central city square we brought together the NGOs and industrial companies, local authorities, property developers and interested residents in order to raise ecological awareness of the people and teach them how to help nature.  The “Nature of the City” EcoFest is unique, as it congregated important business events for specialists and residents in one location, “explained Dmitry Andreev, the head of Ecology and Nature Management  Department  at Perm City Administration 

In addition, the EcoFest presented the video materials specially produced for the festival  by the foreign partners. Thus, residents of Perm came to know that   Perm’s twinned city, American Louisville has a project similar to “The Green Belt” -   The Louisville Loop, and that in China volunteers work together with specialists in a joint team to make another twin-city – Qingdao – even more beautiful and comfortable.  The Oxford-Perm Association presented the video on setting up the public park in Marston, one of Oxford’s neighborhoods. 

Prior to the City Day  a number of ecology events were held in Perm -  “Nature of the city” EcoFest, spring cleaning action in  Chernyaevsky city forest, cycling race in the minor rivers valleys.