Environmental Education Initiatives at Secondary School No. 2 in Makaryev: Fostering Responsibility, Action, and Care for Nature

Experience of Environmental Education at MCOU Secondary School No. 2, Makaryev

The environmental focus at MCOU Secondary School No. 2 in Makaryev is one of the most important aspects of educating and nurturing students. Environmental education engages not only students but also teachers and parents, which increases children’s interest and motivation to participate in solving ecological problems.

The goal of environmental education at the school is to foster a respectful attitude toward the environment and to cultivate ecological culture among students through practical, creative activities.
The main goal of environmental education is:

• to deepen knowledge about nature and foster a sense of responsibility toward it;

• to develop ecological awareness, recognizing the value of nature, understanding the importance of conserving natural resources for current and future generations, instilling a sense of responsibility for the environment, and understanding the inseparable connection between nature and society.

To achieve this goal, the following objectives are pursued:

• expanding students’ ecological awareness;

• deepening theoretical knowledge in the field of ecology and forming a foundation of key ecological concepts;

• providing students with a wide range of practical activities related to studying and protecting the environment.

Key areas of work include:

• Within the framework of practical and environmental protection activities, the school’s environmental club actively participates in various campaigns such as:
  “Clean City – Healthy Citizens”, “City-Garden”, “Let’s Make the City Cleaner and More Beautiful!”, “Clean Up Our Region”, “Feed the Birds”, and “Secrets of the Ecological Trail”.

Through these campaigns, students participate in greening efforts, cleaning the school’s neighborhood and city streets, tidying recreational areas, installing birdhouses and feeders, conducting phenological observations in nature, and more.

• A volunteer movement, led by Vice Principal for Educational Work R.E. Mashkova, is also focused on improving the city’s ecology.

• The school’s environmental group participates in various municipal-level eco-competitions such as “Harvest Day”, “Secrets of the Ecological Trail”, ecological quizzes, and rallies. Traditional events include:

  • School clean-up days (subbotniks)

  • Participation in “All-Russian Forest Planting Day”, “Live, Forest!”

  • Participation in the forestry olympiad

  • Photo contest “The Red Book of Kostroma Region”

  • Photo contest “Winter Bird Feeders”

  • Phenological contest “Spring Calendar”

  • Exhibition “Nature Full of Wonders”

  • Bird Day celebration

  • Earth Day celebration

  • Contest “A Feeder for Every Bird”

  • Contest “Nature’s Mirror”

  • Contest “Give Waste a Second Life”

  • Educational talks, lessons, nature walks, excursions, student labor brigades, and ecological actions

  • Children’s events at school and summer camps

  • Exhibitions and poster competitions on environmental topics

  • Days of protection against environmental hazards

• By student choice, the subject “Ecology” was introduced into the 8th-grade curriculum.

On September 21, Forest Workers’ Day, a field trip to the forest was held. Students participated in quizzes and contests about forest animals, plants, and behavior rules in the forest.

On October 4, World Animal Day, a quiz “Rare and Endangered Animals” was held. After watching encyclopedia videos about rare animals, students in grades 5–8 participated in an engaging quiz organized by the biology teacher and school librarian.

November was a month for prevention activities. From November 10 to 21, class hours and parent meetings were held to promote healthy lifestyles (HLS). Students watched and discussed relevant video materials. This is an important and pressing issue.

To improve the environmental situation at school, a Cleanliness Lesson was held. Students discussed pollution issues and the importance of basic behavioral rules to maintain cleanliness in the city, school, and classroom.

Best Bird Feeder Contest: Each participant hung a feeder near their home.

Ecological Landing: The Forest Became Cleaner
November 1, 2016 – Makaryevsky Vestnik Newspaper Editorial Office

The airfield area in Makaryev, Kostroma Region, is well-known for its beautiful landscapes. It hosts mass sporting events such as the Ski Track of Russia and track-and-field races, attracting many visitors. Residents also love the surrounding forests, rich in mushrooms.
Until recently, the field area had a tidy picnic spot with a table and benches, often chosen by children for school trips during holidays. By the end of summer, however, the area turned into a dump — only uprooted stumps and boards with nails remained.

Parents and students of grade 6B at Secondary School No. 2 could not ignore the situation. An environmental clean-up was organized. During the autumn break, a group of activists (Vladimir Belyakov, Sasha Knyazeva, Arseniy Koregin, Alina Megalinskaya, Vanya Starov, Egor Golubev) came to the airfield ready for action — dressed in work clothes and carrying large garbage bags. Tatiana Borisovna Koregina brought along younger children, Dania and Safina, as helpers. The children worked diligently and cooperatively — even the youngest kept up with the older ones. Well done!
They gathered trash into bags, removed old boards, and were lucky with the weather — no rain or snow.
Special thanks go to the city’s municipal services. In coordination with Galina Stanislavovna Chistyakova, Alexey Nikolaevich Kazvirov, and Lyubov Sergeevna Starostina, a tractor removed all the garbage within a day. Thank you!

Dear fellow citizens!
Love your city, respect the work of others, and contribute to Makaryev’s development — its prosperity depends on all of us.
I.R. Gladysheva, homeroom teacher of grade 6B

December 30, 2016 – After-school educators organized a quiz: “Our Feathered Friends”.

Spring Week of Kindness
March 10–17, 2017

As part of International Forest Day on March 21, a series of events was held. In recent years, the global community has been alarmed by land degradation due to deforestation and fires. Our teachers and students have not remained indifferent.
Events included the “Protect the Forest” campaign, class hours from grades 1 to 11, an ecological quiz “Nature’s Heart Tricks”, a drawing contest “The Forest is Our Wealth”, and a craft competition “A Second Life for Plastic Bottles”.

Health Education
It is essential to involve students of all ages in caring for their health and encourage them to be active in maintaining it.

A healthy, active person is proud of their fit body. A lifelong sedentary one is vulnerable to all ailments.

Health Day at School is a joyful celebration of sports and well-being. Students look forward to this day to take part in competitions, have fun, and breathe fresh air. Children are our future, and to ensure a healthy future, children must be taught healthy lifestyle habits from a young age. They need to be taught to care for their health and to engage in sports. Health topics should be introduced through games and discussions.

On April 7, our school celebrated World Health Day.
Throughout the day, students participated in active breaks between classes. Various videos about healthy lifestyles were shown — featuring our own students participating in healthy lifestyle competitions and events.
In primary school, fun relays were organized, and in middle and high school — masterclasses and ZHS brain rings were conducted.

Volunteer Campaign: “Spring Week of Kindness – Relay of Good Deeds”
This campaign aims to promote the idea of volunteering as an important resource for solving local social problems and boosting civic engagement.
The goal: to engage residents — especially youth — in volunteer work and the implementation of positive, socially significant events.

Ongoing Work
Monthly schoolyard clean-ups were organized.
During biology, geography, chemistry, life safety, technology, and arts classes — as well as extracurricular activities — students gained theoretical and practical ecological skills. The school librarian introduced literature about plants and animals.

In all classes:

• A talk *“Love and Know Your Homeland