Every year Muscovites help wintering birds in the city survive the cold. During promotion period “Feed the birds” Capital residents donate to volunteer centers “Good place” and the capital's ecological centers Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection specialty foods, unroasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin, watermelon, melon, flaxseed, millet, oats, peanuts, dried fruit pieces and berries. In total, 17 collection points have been opened in the city.
The director of the resource center said: “Thanks to the active participation of Moscow residents in the “Feed the Birds” campaign, about a ton of food and more than 300 feeders and birdhouses were collected. Entire families and classes participated, passing on the tradition of caring for nature to the new generation. Sincere love for the homeland was transformed into concrete useful deeds, including the interests of residents in the capital's parks and public gardens ” “Volunteer” Alexander Levit.
According to experts from the Moscow Department of Environmental Management, about 100 species of birds can be observed in Moscow in winter. Most of them are sedentary and nomadic, but there are species that come at this time from more northern regions. In the cold season, feathered residents need everyone's attention, because it becomes more difficult to find food for themselves. However, it is important to remember that birds should be fed only in unfavorable weather conditions, such as during severe frosts, blizzards or heavy snowfall.
Well-fed birds: how the Muscovites helped this year
Volunteer teams from educational institutions of the capital from different districts actively participated in the campaign to collect food for wintering birds. Students not only brought food but also made their own feeders and birdhouses for the birds.
Students from schools No. 1347, 814 and 1371 “Krylatskoye” at the “Good Place” center helped the birds the most. CJSC.” At the volunteer center in the northeast of the capital, those who actively participated in the activities were students from schools No. 1577, 953 and 285.
In a Good Place. ZelAO” brought food and treats from small wards of the center “My Family Center “Zelenograd”” and students from schools No. 1353, 1150, 1528, 609. In the northwest of Moscow, children from school No. 827 took care of wintering birds.
The activity in the east of the capital involved not only schools No. 1310 and 1324, but also students of Medical College No. 7, as well as College of Automation and Information Technology No. 20. Food and feeding troughs of “Good Place. VAO” were also brought by children abandoned without parental care from “My Special Family Center named GI Rossolimo”.
Help the little inhabitants of the city
The students of school 1347 showed the most positive performance: they brought home “A Good Place.JSC” more than 155 kg of bird food. School teacher Raisa Tagiyeva said that students not only participate in environmentally useful events, but also make feeding troughs – this winter they made about 50 of them, then together with teachers and parents hung them in a nearby park, as well as in the Meshchersky forest. They regularly replenish the food supply in the feeders.
Raisa Tagieva shares: “For our school, volunteering is not about participating in a one-time event but a whole system. Teachers form creative habits in students, so that children want to protect the environment and nature and strive for a cleaner and kinder world. We educate children to be responsible for the world around them through practical actions. When children make their own feeders and then watch how birds use them, this is a clear lesson. about kindness”.
The teacher added that ornithologists are often invited to students. Students apply the knowledge they have learned when choosing bird food or feeder materials.
Attitude of concern for nature
Students of school number 1371 “Krylatskoe” brought the feeding trough “Good Place.JSC” and 93 kg of food. Educational consultant Ariana Brazhkina shared that the Volunteer Center “Dobrotvortsy” is especially interested in nature, mainly birds. They hung feeders in the courtyard of the academic building and replenished them regularly.
Ariana Brazhkina added that not only students but also parents, teachers and even graduates participated in the “Feed the Birds” campaign. The importance of environmental support cannot be overestimated, since the environment is the basis of life and this is especially true for large cities. The teacher instills these principles in the students, then the students tell each other about the rules for preparing recycled materials for recycling or explain the importance of feeding birds in winter.
During the campaign, natural science lectures, tours about wintering birds and bird feeding regulations in cold weather are regularly held at ecological centers under the Capital's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
How to join a volunteer group
Volunteering for the environment is one of the most popular activities for people in the capital. It's easy to become interested in nature: you can find an interesting event on the site “Mosvolontera” and register to participate after registering. Website also available Free online coursesincluding volunteering for the environment, anyone can participate.
Learn more about volunteering on the resource center's website “Volunteer”his page on social networks “VKontakte” and in telegram channel.
Organize volunteer activities and attract young people to participate in city events in accordance with national project goals “Youth and Children” and federal projects “We are together”. More information about national projects and capital contributions can be found at special page.
