Georgian youth join global forest conservation network

Georgia’s future ecologists are teaming up with children from five other nations to brainstorm ways to foster forest development and conservation through a new project called Young Foresters’ Network.

Children from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine are currently in Azerbaijan for a one-week summer camp where the youngsters are discussing forest management practices and fostering international cooperation through meetings within the European Union (EU)-funded Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG II) forestry program.

"Today the understanding of the importance of forest education is high in the country,” said the FLEG II program Country Coordinator Azer Garayev.

"The main aim of the upcoming young foresters' summer camp is to foster development of the young foresters' network regionally. We believe that this event will be a good platform to discuss future join initiatives and common plans”, said Garayev.

The Young Foresters’ Network summer camp began on August 2 and will end on August 9. During the week the budding ecologists will hold meetings, go on excursions and take part in research about forest conservation, sustainability and more.

Children from six countries gathered in summer camp in Azerbaijan to discuss forest management practices. Photo from EU Neighbourhood Info.

The main goal of the summer camp was to come up with joint initiatives and establish the young foresters’ movement.

The European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) East Countries FLEG II Program promotes sustainable forest governance, management, and protection of forests in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.

Specifically, the €9 million FLEG II program (2012-2016) deepens reforms in forestry policy, and legal and administrative matters in the sector while carrying out pilot projects, and addressing forest fire and climate issues.

It builds upon the achievements of the ENPI FLEG I programme, which ran from 2008 to 2011 in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine and worked to support good forest governance, sustainable forest management and forest protection in the ENPI East region.

The ENPI program is funded by the European Union and implemented by the World Bank in partnership with WWF and IUCN.