August 12 - 13, 2022. Taalim-Forum PF and RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND held an ethno-ecological camp "NOMAD KIDS CAMP" for schoolchildren and teachers in the village of Shabdan, Chui Oblast.
The camp was organized within the framework of the program "The Nomadic Nature Trunk" with the support of the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC) and the Land of the Snow Leopard Network (LOSL) for the protection of mountain ecosystems in five regions of Central Asia: Mongolia, Republic of Buryatia and Republic of Altai in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The mission of the program is to educate a new generation of communities focused on the conservation of nature in the countries of the snow leopard habitat.
A total of 18 students from Talas, Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Chui oblasts, and Bishkek participated in the camp. Four accompanying teachers came along with the students.
Classes were held in a yurt and in the nature - the territory of the National Nature Park "Chon-Kemin". The camp program taught the students a lot of useful information about the snow leopard, its habitat in the Park, measures to protect it and other animals, plants, and the work of the National Park, and immersed themselves in the nomadic culture of the Kyrgyz people. The program covered many issues lying in the field of bio-cultural diversity conservation.
Local residents, the deputy director of the Chon-Kemin National Nature Park, an employee of the PF "Ilbirs", custodians of traditional knowledge - members of the pastoral network "Kyrgyz el akyl kazyna" and experts on medicinal herbs participated in organizing the camp.
Kuluipa Akmatova, director of the RDF Public Foundation, told about the project and activities of the Snow Leopard Land network. Together with the students she discussed how to save the health and biodiversity of our mountains, how to preserve and transmit from generation to generation our traditional values of respect for nature.
Deputy Director of the Chon-Kemin National Nature Park Kasymaliev Adil told about how to behave properly in the park and what is forbidden to do. Students learned that one of the main dangers in the nature park is a fire, which can occur due to improper human actions. The central event was a hike through the territory of the National Nature Park called "In the footsteps of the snow leopard". Students learned a lot about the snow leopard and its habitat in the Park. The hike in the natural park was accompanied by interesting activities, including making birch brooms for feeding herbivorous animals and hanging them in the forest, making and placing on the trail of a salt marsh for feeding ungulates.
On the territory of the park camp participants together with Natalya Rogova collected medicinal herbs and listened to the story about methods of their cultivation. Natalia Rogova is a researcher at the Laboratory of Medicinal and Essential Medicinal Plants at the Institute of Chemistry and Phytotechnology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The presentation by Erlan Bekkaziev, an employee of the Ilbirs Public Foundation, was received with great enthusiasm by the students. He shared his experience in installation of photo traps, measures for the protection of snow leopards and other animals and plants in the snow leopard habitat.
Altyn Dzhanyshbaeva, a local resident and active member of the "Kyrgyz el akyl kazyna" pastoral network, talked about the features of nomadic cuisine and Kyrgyz dishes. The girls mastered recipes of nomadic cuisine and learned how to prepare the national dish "Tin.
The schoolchildren not only learned about different kinds of handicrafts, but also tried to make their own. Zhanar Algozhoeva, an expert on medicinal herbs and traditional knowledge and the chairman of the Amanat Omur Public Foundation, told about medicinal herbs, methods of drying herbarium and held a master class titled "The art of making pictures from herbarium - "Oshibana". Students had the opportunity to feel like young artists and draw stylized pictures of Snow Leopard, together with the artist Nurai Akmatova. Their creative work the students took with them.
Teachers noted that the camp allowed the students not only to have a good rest in the bosom of beautiful nature, but also to learn a lot of useful things, become true defenders of nature and patriots of their land.