There was not one overall winner in the Environmental Award of the Year 2007 competition, as there was not a sufficiently strong nominee for the prize. Hence, it was decided to give out two 1st and two 2nd prizes.
The category Environmental Award of the Year 2007
- Tartu Environmental Education Centre – Successful management of the Latvian-Estonian cooperation project “Learning about nature and outdoor teaching through cross-border cooperation”; 1st prize
The outcomes of the project carried out by NGO Peipsi Centre for Transboundary Cooperation, the Gauja National Park in Latvia and the Latvian Olympic Committee were numerous nature learning programmes with instructive materials to teachers and nature guides, a travelling exhibition “I am not a guest, I live here”, an online game Retk (Hike) and kits meant for outdoor work packed into rucksacks. In addition, also nature camps for children were held in Estonia and Latvia, and an outdoor learning training event organized for teachers.
- NGO Matsalu Film Festival – continuous and successful organization of the international nature film festival; 1st prize
This year, the festival took place for the fifth consecutive time and the number of participants and visitors had doubled in comparison with the festival of the previous year. Showing nature films popularises environmental topics and educates the audience; the festival also keeps alive and fosters the tradition of making nature films in Estonia.
- NGO Roheline Rood – involving the pensioners of Tallinn to inform people about saving options in households; 2nd prize
A pilot project which involved pensioners and trained them as support persons to speak about waste sorting and possibilities of saving water and energy in households. Up to that time, the Estonian pensioners had not been actively involved in improving environmental awareness in households.
- NGO Studio Viridis Nature Education – the foundation of Muraste Nature School; 2nd prize
In cooperation with the Estonian Fund for Nature, the Nature School was founded in the Muraste manor park, where children from schools and nursery schools of Tallinn and Harju County can learn about nature all through the year by participating in learning trips and programmes. Teachers and university students are trained as instructors.
Recognized with a letter of thanks
- NGO Ökokratt – for organizing and carrying out the environmental education project “Forest Teaches!”, which encompasses the entire Estonia
- Annika Kallasmaa, the Project Manager of Põltsamaa Coeducational Gymnasium – for organizing an annual waste paper collection campaign in the town of Põltsamaa
- Foundation Põlvamaa Development Centre and Põlva County Government – for organizing the Eco Festival “Greener Life 2007”
In the category Small Environmental Award of the Year 2007, the winner was Nursery School Murumuna in Elva – for organizing the environmental month “Our Friend, the Insect” and building an outside learning classroom; 1st prize
From 1 to 30 April, the Nursery School held an environmental month lead by the movement teacher, the music teacher and the healthcare worker, with 124 children participating. The month included an exhibition of insect books, a spring party, study trips to the Agricultural Museum and Zoology Museum, a hiking trip, a lecture by an entomologist, an exhibition of insect drawings, St George’s Day race for beetles, health morning and sports day with parents. With the help of Elva Lions Club, the Nursery School also built an outdoor learning classroom in the nursery school yard. Consistent and versatile environmental education has been provided in the nursery school since the year 2003 already.
- Roosna-Alliku Basic School – youth project “Keep clean the spring area near my home!”; 1st prize
In the course of the project, five girls from grades 6–8, Mari-Liis Rohusaar, Ave Kaljurand, Eneli Väli, Kaidi Kaljurand and Tiina Kaljurand with their teacher Jaanika Alliksoo cleaned the surroundings of the springs located in Roosna-Alliku, printed different (study) materials on the topic; founded a hiking trail and organized a hiking day for the entire school. The girls’ project started back in 2004 already, when they started to search for the springs and published the first handout about the springs. By now, there are also handouts about the hiking trails, worksheets for outside learning by the springs, a spring photo game “Find the right spring”, an information map and a puzzle of the protected landscape area, a website and a blog. The cooperation partner of the project was Roosna-Alliku Rural Municipality Government.
- Puhja Gymnasium – for increasing environmental awareness through different activities; 2nd prize
In the school with 350 students, the project “There’s no playing with the environment II” was carried out, with students researching the environmental conditions of their local area. In addition, students sorted waste, the school has an elective subject of environmental protection, there were outdoor learning classes, creative competitions on the theme of nature and the environment were held (drawings, posters, photos, films); in the summer, nature and environment camps were held with the staff of the Alam-Pedja nature reserve, they have also been planting forest together.
- Sadala Basic School – for developing outdoor learning facilities in the school; building an outdoor learning classroom, an insect hotel and a sundial; 2nd prize
All trees and plants in the schoolyard received labels with their names both in Estonian and Latin, so that students would learn their names; flower boxes were made and flowers were grown together to plant them into the boxes and decorate the school surroundings.
Recognized with the letter of thanks
- Järvamaa Office of the Environmental Inspectorate – for an own-initiative project, in the course of which, they visited nursery schools in Järva and Rapla counties to speak about nature protection, and prepared a picture brochure “Be friendly to nature”.
- Tallinna Mustamäe Gymnasium – for organising a contest of student research papers on the topic of environmental chemistry Eelista Eestimaist (Prefer Estonian).