Project of Schoolchildren from LPR for Bobac Marmot Conservation Received Grant from NaftaGaz

The III All-Russian Children's Environmental Forum has finished in Chelyabinsk, bringing together schoolchildren from grades 5 to 11 from all over the country. The large-scale event was organized by the Compass Eco-Foundation with the support of the Chelyabinsk Region Government. The young ecologists presented scientific and applied projects aimed at solving contemporary environmental protection issues.

The forum began with a scientific-practical conference at four leading universities in Chelyabinsk. The participants submitted over 200 research and project works for the experts’ review, covering a wide range of environmental topics.

Within the framework of the conference, Varvara Paal, the Director of Public Relations of NaftaGaz, spoke during the discussion "Preserving Nature: Society's Contribution to Biodiversity Conservation". The company, which already supports a project for monitoring the Caspian seal, established a special grant for the forum participants. This grant was awarded in the nomination "Best Project for Animal Protection" and is intended to fund the implementation of the winning project.

The grant was awarded to a team from the Luhansk People's Republic with a project titled "Let's Save the Bobak Marmot”. Their work addresses a critical environmental problem: the population of bobak marmots in the LPR is declining steadily due to ploughing of steppes, loss of natural habitat, hunting, and other anthropogenic factors. As the team explained, the bobak marmot is not just an endangered species, but a key element of the ecosystem. The bobak marmot plays a vital role in the soil formation, seed dispersal, and is a link in the food chain. Its disappearance would inevitably disrupt the fragile balance of the steppes. Unlike many regions in Russia, the bobak marmot in the LPR is not yet included into the Red Book, which means it lacks proper protection. The project includes efforts to address this situation. At the forum, the team presented a practical solution for protecting and restoring the population, which could form the basis for the long-term regional programs.  

"The choice of the project “'Let's Save the Bobak Marmot” was not accidental. At NaftaGaz, we believe it is important to support not only the global initiatives, but also the local projects that address specific, urgent problems in a particular area. The team not only stated the problem. It conducted in-depth research, analyzed the habitat, and proposed practical measures to save the species. Their work aims to preserve the species that is a true engineer and guard of the steppes. This comprehensive approach, combining scientific research and legal protection measures, fully aligns with our vision of the work in the field of biodiversity conservation. We are confident that the grant will help the young ecologists bring their ideas to life and make a real contribution to preserving the nature of their native region,” explained the choice of the winner Varvara Paal.

The second day of the forum was dedicated to an open dialogue in the format of plenary session and an awarding ceremony. The winners and the awardees from 50 Russian regions were determined in 17 nominations, which highlights the broad coverage and high level of the children's works, presented at the forum.