Youth-camp in Dessau

The long expected very first youth-4-Elbe-camp from May 17^th to May 22^nd 2009 was a special highlight combined with a high logistical effort. Almost 70 young people from the Elbe River catchment area of Hamburg to Hradec-Kralove, Czech Republic, accepted the invitation of the German organization “Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V.” and visited Dessau at the Elbe River.
Here the young environmentalists together with their teachers and guides were on their way by foot, bike or by canoe for four days. They explored the river and the world famous water meadows of the biosphere reserve River landscape Elbe. They used the various offers around the topic Elbe River as a natural and cultural region. The young people visited the World Heritage Bauhaus, followed the tracks of beaver and understood the importance of natural flood protection.
The boys and girls collected practical experiences by doing an examination of water quality and a community-service work in well known oak tree forests of the Elbe meadows. The young people quickly overcame their language barrier by working in groups, playing games and doing sports together. Their final results presentation was almost totally made in the English language.

Teacher’s seminar in Cottbus

Teacher’s seminars are an integral part of the German-Czech exchange project. On October 9^th and 10^th 2009 12 teachers from six schools came from Brandenburg, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and the Czech Republic to Cottbus, to get an idea of present renaturalization measures at the Spree River.  Mr. Hauffe, a very active teacher from Cottbus, has been following the renaturalization-project for years. He believes that this topic would be most suitable for a student’s project, spanning multiple school subjects.
More than 100 years of brown coal mining have left an impression in southern Brandenburg and Saxony: demolition of grown settlements consumed environment, large scale intrusions into the hydrologic balance, acidification of groundwater, destruction of cultural and natural goods and reduced river discharge caused by the loading of open mines.
Vattenfall Europe Mining AG, operating company of these brown coal mining’s, tries to sustainably balance the impact on nature and landscape. Their goal is to create an environment where nature can develop itself and be used for leisure and recreation.
The planning and implementation of the Vattenfall AG project, as well as the monitoring measures that will last until 2017, was explained to the participants on the spot.
Afterwards the teachers exchanged the past achievements of the project youth-4-Elbe and discussed the organization of prospective youth-camps.

Teacher’s seminar in Prague

From March 26^th till 28^th 2010 teachers collected fresh ideas for the youth environment education project “youth-4-Elbe” in Prague. During a three days further training they experienced together with project leader Ines Wittig, the historic city from the perspective of flood protection, tourism at the Moldau River and environmental education.
The Moldau River is the longest river in the Czech Republic. It goes through Prague and flows into the Elbe River at Melnik. A common topic for both rivers is the flood of the year 2002. Tròja, a district of Prague with zoo and metro stations, was flooded completely.
The Moldau River is navigable in sectors and used for hydro electric power production and touristic purpose. Its water reservoirs are popular with paddle sports, enthusiasts and sailors.
In downtown Prague a separated backwater indicates how the river meandered once a time. Today this backwater is part of a local recreation park.
The participants already developed a program for the German-Czech youth-camp, which will take place in Dolní Mísečky (Czech Republic) in September 2010.

Youth-camp in Burg/Spreewald

Natural riches and nature destruction are nearby at the Spree River. From April 26^th till 29^th 2010 students experienced that on their youth-camp in Burg.
The 43 students from five schools from Czech Republic and Germany got to know a great restored stretch of about 11km. In the past three years construction machines drove into the flood plains, changed the position of banks backwards, dredged inflows for separated backwaters and established new smaller waters. Fish passes and stones that disturb the flow were built in as helpful structures for water animals
The students gazed at water buffalos, original cattles and horses which pastured on large natural meadows. Such landscape visits were the background for discussions and group works around the topics utilization and nature conservation. The extensive renaturalization of the Spree River shall balance the destruction of a very precious ecological lake-landscape. The Vattenfall Europe Mining AG enlarges a brown coal open cast mining area in the Fauna-Flora-Habitat area Lakomaer lakes. In exchange for the habitats of the fire-bellied toad, bittern and many other rare species, the group financed a second-hand Spree-River-nature and funds environmental education projects along the renatured stretch. Nevertheless many environmentalists call the approval for dredging the Lakomaer lakes a serious setback for the European nature conservation
Inspired by facts and experiences a group of students made short films there, which shall be a motivation for environmental and climate protection. The short films were made in cooperation with FÖN e.V., society for public relations in nature and environmental protection
Back to the everyday life at school the teachers and students want to continue working with the medium film.

Design contest

In May and June 2010 the artistic commitment of boys and girls from Czech and German schools was in demand. The German organization “Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V.” called to do a design contest.    The fact was to create the front side of a mutual t-shirt for the participants of the next youth-4-Elbe camp in Harrachov (Czech Republic).
The participating schools received the call and sent 10 layouts altogether. Afterwards everyone was free to vote his or her personal favorite from June 23^rd till 30^th on the website. The winning t-shirt was number 9, which got 15 valid votes. Congratulation! This beautiful picture will decorate many young people up to September 27^th!