On the 5-6 of August near Zhambyl village of Katon-Karagai district in the East Kazakhstan region the first regional gathering of school forestries and environmental groups was carried out under the slogan “To conserve the nature and forests of the East Kazakhstan”.

The meeting was organized by NGO “Istok” in cooperation with the East Kazakhstan Department of nature resources use, Department of Education, and East Kazakhstan Territorial Inspection of the Forestry and Hunting Committee. Katon-Karagai National Park and NGO “Orion” provided technical support to the event. Financial support was provided by the Internal Policy Department of the East-Kazakhstan region.

On the 14th of June, 2010 a ‘Forest Day’ was launched in Akmaral village of Katon-Karagai National Park by planting a fuel plantation of the fast growing poplars.
The following organizations took pat in the Forest Day action: school forestries «Cedar», «Jh-Altai», «Zheryik», «Ular», staff of the Chernovinski Division of Katon-Karagai National Park, Akimat of Akkainar rural district, local people from the villages Akkainar, Kyzyl Zhuldyz, Akmaral, workers of the farm Katon Karagai Deer Park. In general over hundred people participated in the action.

  In order to coordinate the efforts in case of fire Katon-Karagai National Park, Fire Unit # 37 and Katon-Karagai aerial forest protection division carried out the fire tactical exercise on the 3d of June close to Katon-Karagai village.
The scenario was that a steppe area was on fire and there was risk that the fire will be transferred to the forest. The first reaction comes from the fire inspection of the national park that sent the mobile group with 2 fire engines to the fire site. In several minutes the group of aerial services arrived to the fire place. And afterwards the Fire Unit -37 services came.  The conditional fire was localized and the forest fire was prevented.
The exercise was estimated by the Chief specialist of the Fire Control Division of the East Kazkahstan Ivanov A. and Head of Katon Karagai Disaster Division as good.

Eskazyuly Renat – Specialist of awareness and Tourism Department of Katon-Karagai National Park

On the 22 of May people gathered in Urunhaika village of Kurchum district to celebrate the closure of  March of Parks 2010. The ceremony started from the festive march of school children from 4 villages located in the protected areas. There were also representatives of forestry, reserve, project implementation group, consultants-trainers who were conducting trainings for the local communities participating in the festival. The march was carried out within the International Year of Biodiversity.
Afterwards there was a festive concert organized by the school children. Children were dancing, reading poems, sinning songs about the biodiversity and nature conservation.
The concert was followed by sport events where both small kids and old villagers took part.
In the end of the closure ceremony the most active participants of the environmental campaigns were awarded with certificates, prizes and gifts. Afterwards children had a festive dinner organized by the reserve staff.
Children and villagers of the neighboring villages around Markakol Reserve will remember this celebration for a long time.

«Plant a tree and life will go on» this was a slogan for the campaign “My Tree” devoted to the Forest Day celebration. This Day was celebrated within the international March of Parks. On the 12th of May the school forestry “Or Altai” members together with the children from the kindergarten “Karlygash” planted 30 seedlings of Siberian spruce with the support of the specialists of Katon-Karagai National Park, awareness and tourism division. The school children trained the younger kids how to plant and grow a tree. The kids planted and watered small seedlings and gave them names. After the event the kids shared their impressions and it turned out that it was their first tree planned with their own hands.