Another step in cooperation between Slovakian and Transcarpathian foresters

In the middle of March of this year Zakarpattya was visited by Slovakian foresters Zatlukal Josef, Dominica Bibova and Frantisek Kral, representatives of General Directorate "Forests of the Slovak Republic" in Banska Bystrica. Main purpose of their visit was to get acquainted with forest management and hunting practices in the region of Zakarpattya.

Guests from Slovakia, in particular, were interested in the ways and methods of cooperation among foresters and communities, work of school forestries, environmental education and professional orientation of schoolchildren, and possible topics of cooperation and development and implementation of joint projects in field of forest and hunting management.

Program of the visit included meeting in the Transcarpathian Forest and Hunting Administration with Vasyl Pukman, first deputy head of TFHA, with whom Slovakian colleagues discussed the main issues of the visit and possible areas for further cooperation.

Slovakian foresters were specially interested in seeing practical work of state forest enterprise and with this visited Velykyi Bychkiv community, particularly state forest and hunting enterprise and village council.

During concise presentations by the representatives of "Forests of the Slovak Republic" and Velykyi Bychkiv state forestry and hunting enterprise, participants of the working meeting could find out about organizational structure, priorities and key operational indicators, problems and threats to forests, interesting projects being implemented in Slovakia and at the territory of Velykyi Bychkiv state forest and hunting enterprise. Anna Andrusevych, Director in charge of Velykyi Bychkiv state forest and hunting enterprise, pointed out that their enterprise pays special attention to professional orientation and environmental education of children and to cooperation with communities and local schools.

After an exchange of experience Slovakian colleagues attended village council, where Mrs. Odarka Zelenko, head of the village familiarized them with projects and activities related to improvement of the environment and implemented in the village, particularly through international grants, among which activities on collection and sorting of solid waste (plastic, glass and others), prevention of pollution of groundwater and improvement of water quality. In her presentation village chairman also highlighted the results of fruitful cooperation with the local state forest and hunting enterprise.

Slovakian guests continued their program in the neighbouring to Velykyi Bychkiv village of Verkhnye Vodyane (Upper Water) at the “children parks of forest management” equipped by foresters, looking at the thematic events held with children in parks, demonstration sites and objects on the topics of nursing of seedlings, recreation sites in the forest, facilities for feeding game and taking care of trees in the forest. Interesting for Slovakian colleagues happened to be the meeting with students and leaders of Verkhnye Vodyane School Forestry. Children have presented results of their learning, research, and practical conservation work, particularly identification of "best trees" marking of eco-trails, accounting and fencing of anthills, propagation by cuttings of certain species of trees and shrubs, assessment of impact of environmental factors on plant growth in the nursery, participation in activities "The future of forests in your hands", "Feeder", "Meeting of birds," as well as participation in district, regional and national competitions of school forestries.

Visit to geographical center of Europe, to the collection of traditional tools and household items of Zakarpattya inhabitants continued with visit to forest and hunting museum in Kuziy, recreation center in Chornyi Mist (Black Bridge) and ethnographic museum of Kobyletska Polyana village, located in the local forest range. All this have strengthened positive impression got from Rakhiv area of the region.

In turn, the General Directorate of Forests "Forests of the Slovak Republic" foresters of Zakarpattya were invited to visit Slovakia and take part in the Days of the Forest in Zvolen, scheduled for April 19. In addition, the program of this visit includes working meeting with the leadership of Directorate General "Forests of the Slovak Republic", discussion of further cooperation, familiarization with the experience of environmental technologies for logging, in particular cable systems, and planting trees for cultivation of new forests.