Research program "Mendeleev Ecological expedition. Gulf of Finland" opened on September 11 in St. Petersburg. Schoolchildren and teachers of the "Mendeleev classes", as well as students and university teachers of the scientific and educational consortium "Advanced EcoTechnologies" from six regions of the presence of the Federal Environmental Operator gathered in the Northern capital.
The authors of the best projects from Irkutsk, Kirov, Kurgan, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod regions and the Udmurt Republic went on the expedition in the field of solving problems of air and soil pollution, eliminating accumulated environmental damage, alternative energy, waste recycling and others.
The expedition was organized with the joint activities of the Federal Environmental Operator (Rosatom State Corporation), a network of Information centers on atomic energy, the HomoScience educational project and the Advanced EcoTechnologies scientific and educational consortium.
The expedition program was opened by a tour of the museum of the Atomic Energy Information Center (ICAE) of St. Petersburg. The participants studied an interactive map of the nuclear industry facilities in Russia and the world, learned how power plants work, saw the technological process of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to its use and processing.
In the evening, at the opening of the expedition, the children heard parting words from the organizers and got acquainted with the scientific leaders of the research groups.
Scientific supervisors Tamara Ashikhmina, Professor of Vyatka State University, Sergey Azopkov, Head of the Laboratory of the Department of Industrial Ecology of the D. I. Mendeleev Russian State Technical University, and Anastasia Zhuravleva, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Institute of Civil Protection of UdSU, told about the goals, objectives and mandatory components of the expedition, presented the program.
"I wish everyone that the second Mendeleev expedition was even more interesting. So that the trip will charge you for many years to come. Last year, everyone got to know each other, someone has already started writing dissertations with us. And now we are already a real big family," Tamara Ashikhmina said.
"Three years ago we launched the first "Mendeleev classes". Now there are 17 of them all over the country, and this is about 300 schoolchildren. This is definitely a positive and successful project. I am sure that you will return from the expedition completely different people – charged, inspired, with new ideas and friends. Good luck to all of you!" – Denis Pleshchenko, Head of the Communications Department of FEO, wished the Mendeleev residents.
Varvara Zhilina, a student of Vyatka State University, a participant of the first expedition to Lake Baikal and the head of the regional delegation of the Kirov region this year, shared her expectations and impressions: "The Mendeleev expedition definitely changes consciousness. It's great to see familiar faces here. I am going on this expedition with clear expectations: I want to see the Krasny Bor, this huge object of accumulated environmental damage, assess the state of the water in it and compare it with the indicators of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill. And in general, to assess the scale of this environmental situation and understand what we can do."
The Mendeleev Ecological Expedition takes place in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region from September 11 to 16. The expedition is aimed at popularizing eco-thinking among young people and the formation of experience in research activities. The program of the expedition includes thematic days: hydrogeology, anthropogenic impact and biodiversity. In addition, the participants will have a rich cultural and historical program, including a tour of the Baltic Plant, Kronstadt, the museum of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant and other iconic places of St. Petersburg.
The first Mendeleev ecological expedition took place in 2021 on Lake Baikal.