As part of the event “The World Above Us. The World Below Us. The World Around Us”, dedicated to the birthday of the Observatory on Mount Pip Ivan, an eco-educational STEFANYKecoCAMP was held on July 26–27, 2025.
The event was held at the International Center for Meetings of Student Youth of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland and the Smerichka Youth Center in the village of Mykulychyn.
The project, organized by the head of the Department of Biology and Ecology, coordinator of the ecological and meteorological directions of the MNC “Observatory” Myroslava Mylenka, is aimed at active schoolchildren and students to popularize the natural heritage of the Carpathians, familiarize themselves with the landscapes and biodiversity of the mountain region, acquire knowledge on organizing tourist trips, the basics of civic science, rules of behavior in the territories of the nature reserve fund, as well as field methods for studying ecosystems.
The main goal of STEFANYKecoCAMP is to instill a love for nature and the cultural heritage of the native land. The two-day activities were held under the slogan “Carpathians – Terra Inkognita” and were designed to reveal to the participants little-known facets of the familiar Carpathian Mountains: their origin, evolution, landscape diversity, biological value and deeply rooted original culture.
The participants of STEFANYKecoCAMP were students of the third shift of the Smerichka Secondary Educational Service. The educational part of the program was provided by associate professors of the Department of Biology and Ecology of the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University – Nadiya Riznychuk, Viktor Shparyk and Tetyana Mykytyn. The students of the faculty Natalya Gladiy, Anastasia Terninchuk, Tetyana Kukharska and Nadiya Terninchuk also acted as tutors and moderators.
The program was rich and diverse. Over the course of two days, participants participated in discussions, excursions, quests, exercises, microscopic studies, mastered methods of studying biodiversity using modern digital technologies, and went on virtual journeys following the footsteps of the Carpathian lynx through the primeval forests of the Carpathians.
The youth also looked for parallels and differences between the Carpathians and the Alps, practiced drawing and sculpting forest inhabitants, and participated in exciting environmental games.
Through interaction and joint activities, participants learned to build constructive dialogues and develop ecological thinking. STEFANYKecoCAMP became not only a meaningful educational event, but also an example of how environmental education, interdisciplinarity, and knowledge of the native land can unite generations and open new horizons for young people.
