Think global but act local!

4. The project "Forests of Siberia”. The students of primary school were welcome to do some research within the framework of studying the natural resourses of Siberian forests.

5.  Visiting the orphanage. Taking care of people in a difficult situation is a moral issue. 

6.  "Come on! It’s time to do the cleaning!” action. Take it or leave it, but our students are fond of cleaning up. 

7.  The "Green Island” and "The Magic Sprout” contests took place in November 2009. Students displayed their results in house plants’ growing.

8.  Action in support for the woodland environment of Academgorodok. 

9.  Decoration of the Gymnasium. In December we all look forward to seeing the New Year in. We organized a contest for the best New Year tree. 

10. Ecology of soul is one of the main trends of education. It means development of such qualities as tolerance and kindness.

11. In January 2009 there is a Theoretical and Practical Conference annually held at our school. Ecological problems are always touched upon at them.  

12. "My right to smoke” - an action against smoking. Over 200 pupils were engaged in drawing posters against smoking.

13. In February 2009 a group of our students visited Germany – a visit to the DESY laboratory. The moto was "We study nature and environment together”.

14. Every year we choose the King and the Queen of the Gymnasium. Senior students who actively participated in the majority of volunteering activities can take part in the competition. 

15. The Contest of ecological projects organized by the SIEMENS company took place in March 2009. 

16. In March 2009 we held "The Week of Ecology”. Within the framework of the week children were welcome to participate in any kind of activities concerned with ecology.

17. The same month there was a special issue of the school newspaper "Gornostai” (Ermine) dealing with healthy food.

18. For over 17 years the scientists of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics have been initiating a contest called "My native land – familiar and mysterious” (ecological marathon). 37 students took part in the competition and some of them won it due to their curiosity and caring attitude towards nature of their homeland.

19. The Interregional charity social organization Siberian Ecological Centre with the support of the INTEL company carries out the "ECOMONITOR” project. 

20. The Projects "Children for Children” and "The World Around Us” – together with inmates of children’s homes our students created of a nursery garden with such precious spices of trees as cedars and oaks

Environmental idioms

 Greening: the act of making smth green or fresh; a restoration. The program to plant trees along the downtown boulevards is one aspect of the mayor’s plant for the greening of the city.

 Ecology: a division of biology concerned with the relationship between living things and their environment. Because there are so many people today using the natural resources of the world, ecology has become an important concern.

 Extinct: no longer existing or found on earth. Dinosaurs and the giant mammoths are now extinct.

 Endangered species: animals that are threatened with extinction. The orangutan, rhinoceros and falcon are endangered species.

 Rain forests: a moist, densely wooded area with an annual rainfall of 200 cm. The largest rain forests inn the world are found in South America.

 Environmentalist: a person who works toward protecting the environment from destruction or pollution. Environmentalists may be in opposition to commercial interests of big corporations.

 Ozone layer: a region in the upper atmosphere containing a high amount of ozone gas that absobs the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Some chemicals used in refrigerators and in the production of foam plastics reduce the ozone layer, allowing harmful ultraviolet radiation to enter, therby contributing to skin cancer.

Acid rain: precipitation containing high level of nitric and sulfuric acid resulting from car exhaust and factories. The smoke from the steel mills in Indiana mixes with the moisture in the air and falls as acid rain in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, killing trees and polluting rivers.

Greenhouse effect: the phenomenon by which the earth's atmosphere traps some of the sun's heat as it radiates from the earth's surface. The greenhouse effect is noticeable in the warmer temperatures that we have experienced over the last two decades.

Landfill: methods of solid waste disposals in which refuse is buried between layers of dirt to fill in low-lying areas. People were becoming seriously ill because their neighborhood had been built upon landfill that contained poisonous waste products.

Global warming: the increase in world temperatures due to the greenhouse effect. Global warming is causing some melting of the polar ice caps, resulting in increased coastal flooding.

Solar energy: electrical power generated byu the heat of the sun. The desert home was powered entirely by solar energy.

Biodegradable: capable of quick decomposition into products that are not harmful of the environment. The fast-food chain stopped using foam plastic containers because they are not biodegradable.

Fuel-efficient: using little fuel. Small cars are generally more fuel-efficient than larger ones.

Recycling: the process of collecting used products and remanufacturing them into new products instead of throwing them away as garbage. Recycling newspapers helps to preserve forests, since fewer trees have to be cut down to make pulp.

Organic fertilizers: a natural product such as manure to make the soil more productive for agriculture. Unlike chemical fertilizers are not harmful to living creatures.

Deforestation: the destruction of forests resulting from excessive clearing. Deforestation leads to climatic and environmental changes that sometimes cause rich agricultural regions to become desert wastelands.

Composting: making a mixture of decaying organic matter to improve soil structure and provide nutrients for crop production. A composting attachment for a lawn mower will cut the grass small enough so that it will fertilize the soil when it decays.

Hazardous waste: nuclear waste or an industrial by product that is potentially damdging to the environment and harmful  to the health and well-being of living organisms. An  old car battery is hazardous waste and  must be  disposed of properly. 

Energy efficient: using little energy. Aerodynamic design and lighter materials make automobiles more energy efficient.

Non-toxic: not poisonous. Food preservatives are thought to be non-toxic when they are used in small amounts.