Do you hear that? It's the Call of the Wild!
Take a look at our newest project focused on tackling the low degree of awareness of climate change and ecosystem decline in the Visegrad countries.
Many environmentally conscious young people are concerned about climate change but struggle to find ways to do anything about it. Thus, seeking to engage young people to take decisive measures against climate change, CEEweb for Biodiversity and four Visegrad partners — the Hungarian Association of Nature Conservationists - Friends of Earth Hungary, Na Mysli (Czechia), BROZ (Slovakia), and the Polish Ecological Club in Gliwice — are organising wilderness camps in each of the V4 countries to connect leading young activists to practical climate action.
“The Call of the Wild Camps!” project, funded by the International Visegrad Fund, was devised to have a further impact in the Visegrad countries participating to the Game On! project, funded by the DEAR programme. With four international wilderness camps focusing on capacity-building activities in some of Europe’s finest natural environments, they will involve practical work in ecological restoration, special lectures with leading environmental experts, and trips to important conservation sites.
The camps are designed to bring together an emerging generation of powerful young people, strengthening their scientific knowledge of critical issues relating to the dynamics of biodiversity loss and climate change, as well as their abilities to respond practically and politically to these challenges. Empowering young leaders in this way is seen as crucial to overturning relatively low levels of concern for climate change in these countries: a recent survey carried out by IPSOS in 2021 indicate that only 17% of Czechs, 21% of Slovakians, and 32% of Hungarians rank climate change among the biggest problems today.
Into the Wild
- Hungary (completed): 11-15 July 2022, in Bodrogolaszi, Northern Hungary. Special features: useful/medicinal plant identification and gathering, river rafting. Organiser: MTVSZ
- Czech Republic (completed): 13-20 August 2022, in České Žleby, National Park Šumava. Special features: peat/wetland restoration (with Life for Mires), carnivore watching, wider international network-building. Organiser: Na Mysli
- Poland: Spring/Summer 2023 (TBC), in Krzywa, Gorlice. Special features: education about ecosystem services and the role of pollinators, drivers of climate change. Organiser: Polski Klub Ekologiczny w Krakowie
- Slovakia: Summer 2023 (TBC) near Vel’ký Lel, Komárno. Special features: education about relationship between agriculture, biodiversity, and climate change, with practical work on climate-resilient and ecologically positive farming methods. Organiser: BROZ
CEEweb will act as the coordinator for this project, which is funded collectively by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, through the Visegrad Fund. By promoting collaboration and education amongst young activists, the Call of the Wild Camps! campaign plans to deliver a legitimate boost to climate awareness and activism in the region, promoting active social and political change in achieving climate action. In accordance with the goals of the Game On! project, the camps will do so in a manner that is fun, positive, and memorable for those involved.