We kick started some important activities for the protection of the biodiversity in Vanadzor Canyon. UNDP’s GEF Small Grants Programme supported these efforts and dozens of people cooperated with us.
The canyon is full of garbage, especially plastic. We installed garbage bins for plastic waste and mixed waste at different locations of the canyon, and the municipality keeps cleaning up the bins on regular basis. Moreover, we organized a few Canyon clean-up events in cooperation with the local schools. Although people seem to start using the bins, there are still mountains of garbage in the canyon. We are thinking of alternative ways of changing the people’s behavior on this issue.
Nine teachers from schools number 1, 4 and 20 of Vanadzor were trained on biodiversity of Vanadzor canyon. They are inspiring their students to discover the fantastic world of plants, animals and birds living in the Vanadzor canyon.
Around 15 young people were trained to lead hikes at Vanadzor Canyon. Some of them already practiced their new skills by leading student groups to walking tours in the Canyon and introducing the local biodiversity to them.
Several dozens of secondary school students took part in walking tours in the Vanadzor Canyon. They watched birds and plants there, and discovered things which they knew only from textbooks. They also cleaned up parts of the canyon from plastic waste, played games and had exciting experiences, lead by their teachers and guides which were earlier trained within the framework of this program.
EcoHub’s Boo Alt House has solar panels now and produces its own energy.
We have also equipped the Boo Alt House with things necessary for supporting hiking groups, including tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, hiking kitchen items, birdwatching binoculars, etc.
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