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Windows on Nature

Region: Baltics, Central and Eastern Europe, Lithuania
Author: Emilijus Kazlauskas/Nature Society of Lithuania
Consortium Member: Baltic Ecological Programs Office (ECOLOGIA)
Status: Completed - Final Report Budget: $830 Collected: $830 Needs: $0
Result: To clean three parks in Vilnius and to make an educational film for the public depicting the beauty of these recreational areas.
Donors: Anonymous [August 1999]
Comment: This project was only partially completed. Please see the Progress Report .

Information About the Organization

The Nature Society of Lithuania is a national NGO with approximately 450 members, including environmentalists, high school and university students, and concerned local citizens. The Society's activities are comprised of environmental education, nature protection, and scientific research of nature.

Project Need

There are very few recreational parks in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania (Vilnius has more than 600,000 inhabitants). Industrial development and expansion of the city may not be major, but it does have a negative impact on the lovely nature monuments there. Visitors to Vilnius' parks do not understand the value and fragility of these "windows on nature" - they negligently destroy the flora and fauna and leave piles of garbage behind. For example, Pushkoriai, a unique rock formation in Pavilnys Park, is in danger of disappearing because of the impact of human activities. The residents of Vilnius should understand that their activities affect the nature that surrounds them, and that their "good times" could destroy those surroundings.

Project Goal

The Nature Society of Lithuania is proposing to clean three parks in Vilnius (Pavilnys, Karolinishkes, and Gariunai) and to make an educational film for the public depicting the beauty of these recreational areas. People with a better understanding of the fragility of nature will behave themselves more carefully in the parks and save these nature oases for future generations.

Project Activities

• Cleaning the parks, marking the sites and planting trees to support eroded slopes (Vilnius University Botanical Garden will contribute seedlings).
• Producing a film about unique nature monuments. Duration of filming: one year. (This will give us an opportunity to show all the beauty of the nature at different seasons of the year).
• Creating photo-bank.

The educational film will be distributed to: Vilnius State University; Vilnius Technical University; Department of Geology of Lithuania; Institute of Geology; geological and constructional enterprises; and environmental clubs in Lithuanian high schools. Additionally, information about the parks and outcomes of this project will be presented to the mass media.

Expected outcomes of the project:

Cleaner and safer environment in Vilnius parks; More respectful attitude towards parks by local people; Documentation of existing condition of nature parks for future reference.

Duration of the project: 12 months.

Project will be implemented by members of Nature Society of Lithuania (students of Department of Geology at Vilnius State University).

Budget