What components would we need if we try to make a short “recipe” of the transformation of our common home – Bessarabia and the whole of Ukraine? No matter how different our views on life are, there are still common ideas about the ideal. Thus, people need a good school, adequate self-management, active public organizations, quality medicine and, not least and a healthy environment. The topic of our article is one “green” project that involves working at the “crossroads” of the environmental, educational and civic engagement.

The other day, the participants of the school parliament of the Horodne village, Bolgrad District, held an impressive environmental campaign – together with their teachers and forestry employees, the children planted one and a half hundred Crimean pine saplings on the territory adjacent to the village. Planting pines will help restore the Horodne forest, and there is nothing to say about the beneficial effect of trees on nature and human health. In the parching Budjak, every tree is as valuable as gold.

Greening of Horodne is just one of the practical steps in the framework of the big project called “Together we shall preserve the clean environment of our native shore” (it was told about recently). And now local schoolchildren undergo two-module training for “eco-ambassadors”. In this context “ambassador” means an expert and an example for others to follow. Twenty young ambassadors will have to master environmental monitoring and management skills, and should “infect” their peers and fellow villagers with an interest in environmental.

The ultimate goal of the Horodne initiative is to activate people for nature conservation, involving them in the decision-making process. Generally speaking, today any person civically and environmentally active today is an “ambassador” – an inspirational person. Therefore, there is a hope that more than 100 people, including community and environmental activists, as well as representatives of social and charitable organizations will be to engaged for the event. The authors are going to develop the environmental protection program of the Horodne Community and discuss it with the public.

Finally, a Memorandum on environmental protection will be signed by civil society organizations. A media awareness campaign will be held additionally. It is hoped that the project “Together we shall preserve the clean environment of our native shore” will be fulfilled further practically and will set a good example for similar initiatives across the region. It should be added that the project is coordinated by Mr. Konstantinov and implemented by the Bessarabia Development Centre Public Organization in partnership with Horodne village council. The total budget is UAH 42,130. It includes a grant of UAH 27,940 and the organizers’ own funds of UAH 14,190. The project is implemented with the financial support of the Lion Society (Lviv, Ukraine) with funds from the National Endowment for Democracy (Washington DC, USA).

Bessarabia.UA editorial board note: The views expressed in this publication may not coincide with the point of view of the Lion Society (Lviv, Ukraine) or the National Endowment for Democracy (Washington DC, USA) and do not necessarily reflect their position on this issue.