Environmental education

While promoting environmental awareness we may realize that there are three consecutive and interrelated stages that we must consider throughout our work: come to know nature (familiarize), come to love nature (endear) and protect nature. Following these guidelines we have organized a number of environmental programs that are more or less interrelated.

Nature Camps
In the first few years we had these one week camps, generally in several turns, at Bodaszőlő, later in the Bükk Mountains, and from 1994 to the present year we have organized them at Bodrogolaszi. These camps provide delightful experience not only for kids and youngsters but for teachers as well. During the camps' time the participants' abilities improve in orientation, identifying certain species and their attitude towards nature becomes refined.

Programs for open-air kindergartens and open-air schools
In the first few years of our association we only helped the open-air forest program of the local Rákóczi Ferenc II Primary School. But from 2001 on in the so called Inner Forest Resort we have organized open-air forest programs lasting 2 or 3 days (including trips, walks, presentations, slide shows etc.) for all the local children's institutions. These programs are financially sponsored by the local authority.

Nature Hikers' Club
This program is indeed a town-level study circle which has been a great success for several years mainly among upper primary pupils. During term time we hold two sessions per month (a presentation and a nature hiking). Both activities are based upon getting acquainted with local natural beauty spots and values.

Creating new forest study paths
In 1993 after negotiations with the owners of the forest areas around Hajdúböszörmény our organization, in cooperation with the National Association of Nature-lovers, created a yellow way marked tour path through the Town Forest from Kis-Bocskai District to the ruins of the medieval church of Zelemér. While working on this project the idea of creating study paths joining the tour path occurred to us, nevertheless we were able to do so only years later. A study path through the acacia forest was created in the so called Majálispark (sandpit), while another one through the oak woods was also beaten in the nature preserve area near the pipeline quite close to the Inner Forest Resort.

Editing transactions titled "Természeti örökségünk" (Our Natural Heritage)
In the year of the Millennium the publication presenting and illustrating the natural sights of and around our town was published the second time. The assets of this publication is mentioning aspects of local history and outlining the history and the present situation of environmental protection both in national and international level.

Exhibitions of Nature Photographs
Three collections of our most spectacular photographs have been set into exhibitions. These photographs were taken by our members; the wonderful pictures of Szentirmai Sándor and other photographers of our association have been exhibited with great success in several towns, besides being displayed in almost all the public institutions of Hajdúböszörmény.

Noted dates
Two remarkable dates are commemorated with different programs every year, these are the Day of Earth (22nd April) and the Day of Birds and Trees (10th May). Besides we also organize programs on the World-day of Ozone and that of the Environmental Protection, we have joined the local programs of the demonstration called 'A Day without Cars' as well.

Kotta Festival - Green Tea House
This festival arranged by Hajdú You Do Youth Club is a several-day summer jamboree that is very popular among youngsters. We help organize the festival's programs every year. An evocative youth camp and leisure centre named Fürdőkert provides location for the festival that attracts several thousands of young people from different parts of the country every summer. Beside the famous pop and rock bands our tea house presentations on environmental protection, travel reports and experience talks are quite popular.

Environmental Attitude Survey
In 1996 we initiated a survey that was supported by several organizations and sponsored by HajdúTel Corporation on ten settlements of our county. The questionnaire research among the adult population was conveyed to investigate the conditions of the environment and the people's attitude and sensitivity towards environmental awareness. The results of the survey were presented at a professional meeting at the local institution of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Debrecen in the same year.

Efficiency of Energy Traveling Exhibition
In the beginning this program was conducted by our organization alone. Later the county foundation for entrepreneurial development and the Foundation for the Civil Centre and Database of Hajdúság (Hajdúsági Civil Központ és Adattár Alapítvány) joined in the organization process of the exhibitions. The main point of these exhibitions is to present new technologies to both the public and the business sphere. These technologies are either energy-saving technologies or adapting those results in energy saving (e.g. heat proof laggings, thermal insulation, new construction materials etc.). The impressive collection that has been exhibited several dozen of times could have been seen in almost each and every part of our country during the past six years.

We have got a really good connection with the local media. Some years ago the local Eastern Channel Radio (Keleti-Főcsatorna Rádió) broadcasted a weekly green program called 'Greenwaves' (Zöldhullám) that dealt with environmental protection. In cooperation with the local television station we have been able to produce several short educational films about nature; the Ministry of Environment has provided the financial funds for these projects.