On International Forest Contest

The Contest is a traditional measure organized by Rosleskhoz which is very popular among young foresters of Russia and many foreign countries. 

The Contest had been created as a platform for gaining and exchanging international experience in preserving forests, bringing up ecological thinking of young generation. In the course of eight years professionals of forestry together with young silviculturists have been solving actual problems of preserving natural environment. For this period have been accomplished great number of scientific works, conducted many researches and professional contests. Some developments were introduced into practice of conducting modern forestry. All this witnesses in favour of successful attempt of attracting youth to the search of solutions for global problems of nature protecting, accustom youth to active life position and provoke interest to getting know the nature.  

With each passing year the international contest is gaining growing popularity and expanding its geography. 

8th INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR FOREST CONTEST
13-17 September 2011, Moscow

Russia as a major forest nation takes an active part in all basic international forest-related conventions and agreements at various international levels. The state encourages forest school and forest lover group movement that has long traditions and was actually revived in 1999. Six thousand forest schools comprising around 100 thousand pupils of urban and rural schools make an exceptional contribution to the education of young people in the spirit of love for nature and caring attitude towards the forest wealth of our country and entire planet.

The Russian National Convention of Forest Schools was held in 2004, where the State Forest Service (Federal Forest Agency) of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation established new Russian and International Junior Forest Contests.

The phrase “For environment conservation and caring attitude towards forest wealth” has been chosen as a motto of the Russian National Junior Forest Contest “Undergrowth”. In accordance with the guidelines on the Russian National Junior Forest Contest “Undergrowth”, the winners of that competition participate in the International Junior Forest Contest representing the Russian Federation.

The International Junior Forest Prize is arranged annually. Any teenage student is eligible.

Basic guidelines on the International Contest

Contest objective:

• to encourage cooperation among young people of different countries; to develop their environment-oriented awareness; to share knowledge in forest management, environment and practical experience; to address the world community attention to forest challenges.
• to encourage student initiatives in knowledge extension and skills development in forest ecology, silviculture and forest protection, forest treatment and regeneration that enhance environmental forest training and education and vocational guidance.

Competition goals:

• to support student initiatives in protection, conservation and regeneration of world forest resources at local and global levels;
• to encourage student interests in research in forest stock record and monitoring, sustainable forest management, evaluation of anthropogenic impacts on forest resources condition and forest input in sustainable development of planet’s biosphere, biological diversity conservation, efficient use of wood resources on the basis of updated scientific methodology;
• to involve young people in the activities related to extension of ideas of sustainable forest use involving various public sectors;
• to identify and encourage young students who have special environmental and forest expertise and skills.

Research trends:

• forest science and silviculture (forest typology; study of forest regeneration and formation, recreation impacts on forests, thinning, forest fires, etc., forest regeneration after final felling, efficiency of forest regeneration activities, forest plantations, etc.).
• wildlife ecology (fauna, ecology and behavior of birds, insects and other forest animals, including forest pests; studies of biological forest protection means (including entomophages), etc.):
• ecology of forest plants (floristic and geobotanical studies of forest plant communities; studies of ecological and biological features of forest plants, establishment of ecological training trails in woodlands, etc.);

Work evaluation criteria: relevancy, scientific value, practical importance, validity of research tasks and objectives, quality and clearness of presented results, command of the material and proper presentation abilities.

Competition procedure

Contest participant shall present own project to the International Nomination Committee (13-17 September, 2011, Moscow) and give responses to questions of Committee members using necessary visual aids (slides, tables, schemes, posters, etc.).

All Contest finalists will be invited to participate in Contest events. The hosts of the International Contest cover expenses for accommodation, board and culture program for participants and accompanying persons.

National representatives are kindly requested to inform the Organizing Committee if they need visa support.

PRIZES

The winner of the International Junior Forest Prize will be presented with a Big Prize and a money award. 

The second and third places will be presented with special prizes.

All finalists will get Contest diplomas.

Guidelines for project preparation

Working languages of the competition are English and Russian. The project should be presented in one of Contest working languages in writing. 

The project should include the following information:

• Project title
• Names of the project authors
• School name and address
• Names of project leaders
• Date of birth and sex of authors
• Short finalist CV
• Arrival and departure route
• Names of accompanying persons
• Names of the national organizer and contact person
• Names of national sponsors

Guidelines for written projects (submitted by e-mail and typed):

• text shall be written in Russian or English;
• font in Times New Roman, interval 2, 2 cm margins,
• numbered pages.   
• total text should not exceed 20 pages, format A4 (including all enclosures- pictures, tables, photos, schemes etc.).
• The following division of the project is suggested:

- title page
- summary (no more than 20 lines)
- introduction
- description of the used methods
- description of research and results
- conclusion
- list of references
- enclosures (attached separately)

Deadline for written text submission to 8th International Junior Forest Contest – August 15, 2011. Contest participation materials should be e-mailed to the Federal Forestry Agency to vevseeva@gmail.com or lubovkos@gmail.com

All additional information is available on Rosleshoz site www.rosleshoz.gov.ru