For the celebration of World Environment Day 2022, an event in the context of #OnlyOneEarth global campaign, aiming to call for collective, transformative actions to protect and restore our planet, has been organized under the “EU4Climate” project. The project is funded by the European Union and implemented by United Nations Development Programme in Armenia.

The celebration event was organized in collaboration with Yerevan Botanical Garden and “Green Training Center" NGO, on 6^th of June 2022, with the primary goal to raise youth awareness and interest in “EU4Cilmate” project main activities and achievements, as well as to advance their knowledge on climate change and mitigation and adaptation measures against its impacts.

The event gathered together around fifty youth aged 14-15, active in environmental initiatives  from five schools located in Yerevan, hosting them in the "Green Training Center" and in Yerevan Botanical Garden.

Firstly, the students were presented the information on climate change, its impacts, mitigation and adaptation measures, that was concluded with an online game-quiz on climate change, protection and restoration of nature, mitigation and adaptation actions. Ten winning participants were selected and awarded with “EU4Climate” project thematic gifts, as T-shirts, caps, pens and literature on climate change. The rest of the participating students also received encouraging gifts from the Project. During the study tour in the Center, they were acquainted with organically grown plants, trees and various seedlings.

At the second part of the event in Yerevan Botanical Garden, they learned about “EU4Climate” project aims and main goals and further watched two videos on solar energy and forest restoration, prepared under the Project They were guided for three educational excursions on endangered plants, flowers and trees grown in the green house and fossils museum of the Garden and, on Armenia’s typical plants and animals in the Eco Center, exploring and learning more on Armenia’ biodiversity, local plants and animals.

Further, to remain faithful to the campaign slogan “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”, the youth participated in the outdoor cleaning and nature caring activities around the Garden by collecting waste, dried remains of trees and bushes, removing old food bowls and signboards, and replacing old waste bins with the new metal, 3-sectioned recycling bins donated by “EU4Climate” project. The bins will help to ensure proper waste collection for plastic, glass and mixed types respectively in the territory of the Garden.

Furthermore, a projector was handed to Yerevan Botanical Garden as an incentive to advance educational knowledge building on climate change, nature protection, and environmental action.

The youth were delighted about their direct engagement in the event and were motivated to learn more on the environment and ecosystems, climate change, environmental actions. They acted as real change makers showing their environmental responsibility and caring behavior by collecting and sorting waste in the new recycle bins, and were happy to realize their supportive attitude for the Garden through the mentioned activities within the event.

All the photos of the event can be fond HERE