ASU biologists take an active part in ecological campaigns

2017 is the Year of Ecology in Russia. Altai State University and its departments are taking active part in different ecological campaigns.

Faculty of Biology often joins volunteer clean-up events. Thus, on 22 April 2017 biologists of Altai State University are going to participate in a local clean-up. Students are to do up the territory of two parks situated in Barnaul.

“By joining the clean-up campaign, we support the desire to turn the territory of our city into a green zone for family vacation. The parks, where parents like walking with their children, are located in densely populated districts of Barnaul. We are planning to participate in a spring clean-up of the parks’ territory and realize some other projects. For example, we have discussed the possibility of fitting the parks with additional bicycle lanes,” explained Assistant Professor at the Department of Zoology and Physiology under the Faculty of Biology, Candidate of Biology Tatiana V. Antonenko.

Another event will be held on 23 April. Ecological Club of the Faculty of Biology will join the Clean Rivers of Altai campaign. The event will involve cleaning suburban recreational areas, especially the ones near rivers and lakes.

“We live on the bank of a large river. Moreover, numerous small rivers and lakes surround us. We must take care of them, because it is these bodies that provide us with such vital resource as water. It should be a living ecosystem inhabited by invertebrates, vertebrates and plants. These rivers and lakes should also be recreational zone, which is safe for swimming and fishing,” emphasized Tatiana Antonenko.

In the framework of the Year of Ecology biologists of Altai State University also clean up the territory of South-Siberian Botanic Garden, organize meetings with pupils in order to tell them about ecology, and carry out conferences. One of the nearest events is going to be a conference on ecological problems of Asia, which will take place at ASU in the framework of youth scientific festival.