Background

The main occupation in the village of Novo Selo is vine growing. In 1998, the Culture Center (Chitalishte) Zemedelec realized the Dionysius Project, financed by the United Nations Development Program. The project included establishment of a consulting committee, which the population welcomed with great interest. The visitors of the Culture Center shared their fears regarding their environment: the appearance of the white American butterfly or ectima contagiosa among the animals, pollution of the Danube waters and the air because of the military conflict in Kosovo. The idea for improving the environmental literacy of the population matured.

Practice

The project A Green School for Everyone was realized with the financial support of the Danube River Initiative Program, implemented by the Foundation for Local Government Reform and the US Agency for International Development. According to the project, a citizen council was established. Meetings with ecology specialists, agronomists, veterinarians, specialists from the Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute and the Forestry, as well as majors of the villages, accompanied its creation.

Three environmental clubs were created at the municipal schools. Six video reports were made. The project team used various methods to involve the population into environmental activities:
- inquiries and telephone surveys for suggestions and recommendations towards the project team;
- environmental lectures in the village neighborhoods where all participants opinions and suggestions could be heard.
The project goals were achieved through educational, cultural and work initiatives:
- celebration of Enjovden (the day of the herbs);
- children s environmental show;
- clean up of the villages;
- My Village Nature exhibition
- forestation of 8 200 decares with poplar, lilac, acacia, intended to strengthen the Danube riverside.

All the activities were welcomed with great interest and continued to function after the end of the project. Throughout the project, the Culture Center attracted many volunteers and established long lasting partnership relations.

Results

- Active social stand regarding environmental problems;
- Participation of the population in solving environmental problems;
- Expansion of the Culture Center importance for achieving the aims of the municipality;
- Encouraging young people to participate in solving environmental problems;
- Close partnerships among the Culture Center, the Municipality, and other citizen associations.