Building greener future: How one eco-camp in Ukraine teaches local youth to cherish nature and history
What's the problem?
Russia's full-scale war has caused widespread destruction across Ukraine, devastating cities, towns, and rural areas. While it's ongoing, Ukrainians work on efforts to rebuild and realize that post-war recovery isn't just about rebuilding what the enemy destroyed.
Ukraine's broader mission is to revive communities and environments and make every village and town "better than before." Educating Ukrainian youth on sustainable practices and environmental stewardship is a significant part of ensuring green recovery and a future where everyone respects nature and heritage.
What's the solution?
For the third consecutive year, an eco-camp named after the small village of Vorgol in the Krolevets community of the northern Sumy region has worked to connect local kids with the nature and heritage of their country and home region.
The Vorgol environmental camp is not just a summer getaway. Children engage in lively discussions with scientists, educators, and eco-activists about local nature, its history, and its potential. They learn that everything around them needs to be preserved and improved for themselves and future generations.
How does it work?
Participants of the Vorgol-2024 eco-camp pose for a group photo. Photo: NGO Vorgol
The Vorgol nonprofit organization, which runs the eco-camp project for children in partnership with the Krolevets City Council, has been involved in cultural and educational initiatives even before the war. In 2021, it organized a Historical Reconstruction Festival. From the beginning, the nonprofit's goals were to draw attention to environmental issues, preserve the history of the native land, and address the problem of depopulation in small villages.
The emblem of the Living History Festival, which the NGO Vorgol then used to present its organization, is now part of Vorgol Village's branding. Photo: NGO Vorgol
When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the Vorgol team had to forget about big festivals but continued working on other ideas. When their friend, Dr. Serhii Panchenko, a Doctor of Biology, suggested organizing an eco-camp for children in the village to distract them from the war and gadgets, everyone in the organization hopped on the idea.
At first, the concept of an eco-camp wasn't clear. Through constant discussions and layering specific goals onto the idea, activists chose the directions in which the environmentalist camp would work. They considered all crucial aspects and connected all future activities with an "intuitive thread" — the nature and history of Vorgol.
The team of NGO Vorgol created an educational and recreational space called "LokoMotiv" at the site of the old village school. Photo: NGO Vorgol
The team chose the "LoKoMotiv" Educational and Recreational Space, founded by the NGO Vorgol, as the camp's location. The site is convenient, has available rooms for activities, and has a reliable basement shelter in case of air raids. The nonprofit and the participants fund the camp.
Valuable knowledge without boring routine
Theoretical preparation for a botanical excursion. Photo: NGO Vorgol
Maksym Koniukh, a Vorgol local, entrepreneur, and head of the NGO Vorgol, says the project's target audience is middle and high school children from the Krolevets community, particularly those from extracurricular classes in natural sciences. According to his colleagues, Maksym is the main driving force behind the project and the "spark that ignited the bright flame" of the historical festival and now the eco-camp for kids.
The eco-camp program is designed for five days of active recreation. Each day covers different topics. This year's topics include biology and ecology, patriotic education, history, and archaeology. The lessons are centered around the village of Vorgol, its history, nature, and culture. The activities are 90% practical and field-based.
"Our instructors are active scientists with PhDs and doctorates of science, cultural figures, members, and friends of the NGO who work with children on a volunteer basis," Maksym Konyukh comments. "For kids and teenagers, they can become role models of real researchers and true elite members of society."
At the excavations near the village of Vorgol. Photo: NGO Vorgol
Maksym Koniukh tells us how the eco-camp turned into an archaeological expedition for a couple of days. The children had a chance to have a unique educational experience because real archaeologists were working on the site not far from the camp. Under the watchful eye of Yevhen Osadchyi, PhD in History, the kids tried to find pottery fragments, which could reveal information about the village's early settlers dating back to the 17th century. Although the work is just beginning, young researchers have already found some ancient artifacts. Archaeologists will now study these findings.
The discovered items still need to be studied. Photo: NGO Vorgol
The kids also had a patriotic lesson with the nonprofit Cossack Club Garda from the city of Hlukhiv. Garda revives ancient Ukrainian Cossack traditions, crafts, and defense. It was founded by Roman Dzekelev and Ihor Bilevych, who died in the war in the fall of 2022. The class was a real treat for the eco-camp participants. Roman Dzekelev, the club's co-founder, led the meeting.
A patriotic activity with the Cossack Club Garda. Photo: NGO Vorgol
"It was a mix of interesting conversations, getting to know Cossack attire and gear, a saber-handling workshop, and other Cossack weapons," says Maksym Koniukh. "There were also Cossack games, archery, and knife throwing. Almost all the kids held a bow for the first time, but they did well. At the end of the Cossack training program, the kids took part in a master class on cooking Cossack kulish [a millet porridge with lards, meat, dried fish, or mushrooms the Cossacks cooked during campaigns] by Tetiana Sokur."
The tastiest kulish is cooked in Vorgol. Photo: NGO Vorgol
"Just a botanist"
"I'm an ordinary botanist on this team," says Olena Miskova, a Ph.D. biology researcher at the Seimskyi Regional Landscape Park, describing her work. She got to know Vorgol and the local activists while studying the region's flora for her dissertation. Later, Olena became part of the nonprofit's team, working on cultural and educational projects and helping organize festivals.
Olena Miskova and eco-camp participants study aquatic plants. Photo: NGO Vorgol
For the third year, Olena Miskova taught botany and ecology classes to children at the Vorgol eco-camp.
"Unlike school, we don't have textbooks in the eco-camp, and our study material is the natural environment around us," says Olena. "The village of Vorgol and its surroundings are diverse and accessible for study. The main principle is for children to find, see, touch, smell, photograph, and draw any natural object themselves."
A quality reaction to starch: kids draw on potatoes with iodine, studying the function of potato tubers. Photo: NGO Vorgol
The classes with the PhD biologist cover many relevant issues, such as:
- Biodiversity conservation
- Protection of rare plant species
- Human impact on the environment and natural resources
- Ecosystem services and more
The instructor says children need to know and understand the living organisms in their area. So, after theoretical preparation, educational games, or exercises, everyone goes on excursions to the park, the pond, or the forest to find the objects they just discussed.
Kids are collecting and creating a herbarium. Photo: NGO Vorgol
"The kids enjoyed collecting herbarium samples. It was clear they had never collected plant samples before, let alone followed all herbarium-making rules," says Olena Miskova. She shares that one boy, Denys, was so enthusiastic that he brought plants from the city where he lived, Krolevets, and asked for a shovel to "dig for the herbarium."
"Many children tried to remember as many plant names as possible. Indeed, before this, few knew the names of what grows right under their feet. Their curiosity was overwhelming," says the biologist.
Kids are identifying plants collected in the village of Vorgol during a botanical excursion. Photo: NGO Vorgol
Olena believes the connection between humans and nature is often underestimated. Modern parents try to provide their children with all the benefits of technological progress. Kids are surrounded by gadgets and immersed in TikTok culture, which creates an artificial environment that distances children from nature. That's why one of the eco-camp's goals is to maintain this link.
Using cool apps with artificial intelligence during learning is fine, but this must be combined with the interaction with live objects. Watching a video is great, but what's seen on the screen can be observed in reality, like birds in the sky flying seemingly closely through binoculars. Making a craft is lovely, but synthetic slime, glitter, and foam can be replaced by natural materials that the campers will collect and combine into unique creations.
New generations need to know who they are and what beautiful land they share
On an excursion to the pond. Along with aquatic plants, the children caught a fish (which they later released). Photo: NGO Vorgol
The biology teacher, Olena Miskova, admits that when she first came to Vorgol, she saw its nature and uniqueness and felt a massive urge to create something beneficial for the area. After all, "this is all our land," she says. The young scientist tries to pass on this love for the Krolevets region and Ukraine, in general, to the children.
"Raising the next generation is the most important investment of today. Do you want to see our children continue to destroy nature, deplete the land, wipe out the biodiversity of meadows and forests, and ruin ecosystems, leaving humanity without a future? Or will we take this small step, showing how important it is to protect natural and landscape diversity, know our history, and defend our land?" says Olena Miskova, describing the project's mission. "We need to show children this world anew, in all its interconnectedness and uniqueness, and teach them to touch nature and be its harmonious part."
Co-founder Maksym Koniukh adds, "We try to explain to the younger generation that they live in a unique place. They don't need to flee and certainly should accept their homeland. New generations should know from an early age who they are, on what beautiful land they are growing, and for what purpose."
Does it really work?
In a psychosocial support session, children learned to cope with stress and come together as a team. Photo: NGO Vorgol
"Every time I come here, I'm excited about what we'll do every day at the eco-camp. It's exciting," says one young participant. This shows that the nonprofit's team and teachers have succeeded in distracting the children by organizing alternative activities during the holidays and sparking their interest in learning, especially the practical knowledge often missing in school.
The project's success is also evident because each camp participant attended every single session. Nearly all who participated in the camp last year applied again this year. The number of interested children is growing. In the first year, 2022, there were ten children. Last year, there were twice as many. This year, there are 25 participants.
In fact, there were so many applications this year that some had to be turned down because not everyone could fit in "LoKoMotiv." For next year, the eco-camp organizers dream of having a larger space and more sessions and are already seeking funding.
The most valuable moments are the heartfelt hugs on the last day of the camp. Photo: NGO Vorgol
"The Vorgol Eco-Camp and similar initiatives are opportunities to contribute to the future of our country," says co-founder Maksym Koniukh. "We have very talented and amazing kids, and it's important to remember that and help them realize it themselves."
Biologist Olena Miskova adds, "Don't be afraid to create projects, seek support, and surround yourself with people who will always back you and say 'let's do it.' Maybe one day, one of your friends will suggest organizing an eco-camp, and in three years, children will be running off the bus shouting, "We're finally here!'"
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