Let’s Return Bison to Nature! - Ecological Summer Camp Successfully Concludes

From July 19-21, the IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) held another ecological summer camp titled “Let’s Return Bison to Nature!” as part of the “Reintroduction of Bison in Azerbaijan” program. The camp took place with the participation of over 70 schoolchildren from the villages of Bunud, Vendam, Tuntul, Yengija, Nohurqishlag, Amirvan, Bilykh, Topbag, and Melikli in the Gabala region.

The main goal of the “Let’s Return Bison to Nature!” summer camp is to raise awareness among young people about the bison intended to be returned to our nature and the importance of their conservation, educate them in the field of environmental protection from a school age, and instill a sense of respect and care for nature.

During the camp, participants gained extensive knowledge about the lifestyle of bison, the areas where they will be reintroduced, and their role in nature. They attended seminars on the reintroduction project being carried out to return this rare species to our rich nature, as well as various ecological research activities and competitions.

It should be noted that bison have inhabited Azerbaijan's rich nature for centuries. The last individuals of the species were found at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains in the late 20th century. Due to ineffective population management, the number of this species in Azerbaijan has dwindled. As a result of research conducted in recent years by leading scientists from the region and around the world, it has been discovered that our nature has favorable conditions for bison.

At the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, a joint project on the reintroduction of bison was launched by the IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and WWF Azerbaijan. As part of the project, a complex is being built in the territory of the Shahdag National Park to breed and release bison into the wild. One of the most important aspects of the project is educating the public, especially young people.

It should be noted that at the initiative of the IDEA Public Union, camps on the topic of environment and biodiversity have been organized annually since 2014. During this time, over 300 schoolchildren from the Gabala, Salyan, Neftchala, Goranboy, Samukh, Gakh, Sheki, Masalli, Jalilabad, Yardimli, Lankaran, Astara, and Goygol regions have participated in these camps.