Educational trip for school children to the Dnieper-Orelsky Reserve supported by DTEK Dnipro Grids
Protection and preservation of biodiversity is one of the main DTEK Dnipro Grids areas, which is in line with DTEK-2030 strategy based on ESG principles, values and business responsibility for progress in achieving the sustainable development goals of the UN Global Compact.
“The reserve has about 2,000 species of animals, birds and plants. Including the rare and Red Booked ones. It is unique not only for our region, but for Ukraine as well. First, you can observe there living nature practically unchanged. So that visitors can better orientate themselves in the park, we have placed information stands, where every excursion begins now. And now we set some gazebos. It will be convenient to hold open lessons for school children there,” says Andrii Tereshchuk, Director General of DTEK Dnipro Grids.
In total, there are now 4 such gazebos in the nature reserve. Each can accommodate up to 10-12 people. The first has already been placed at the entrance to the park. Three others will be installed at the most interesting points of the excursion trail.
“We’ve been working closely with DTEK Dnipro Grids for several years. I am very glad that now, when the reserve is already 31 years old, we have received not only these wonderful stands with information about the reserve, but also such excellent gazebos. A very convenient place for our visitors to feel even more comfortable on the ecological path in the forest. I really hope for further cooperation. Because it has an ecological and educational goal, which is extremely important,” says Maria Trifanova, acting director of the reserve.
During an open lesson, the children were told about the unique representatives of the local flora and fauna, which number 1,150 species of animals and 850 plants. 85 of them are included in the Red Book of Ukraine.
“In the summer, we went to the Magdalinovsky District with the DTEK #EnergyWings project. We saw how the energy workers moved the stork's nest. And today we arrived at the reserve. We learned a lot about rare birds and unusual plants. It is very exciting and interesting,” says 12-year-old Polina Khizhnyak, sharing her impressions.
Earlier, DTEK Dnipro Grids gave the reserve special wooden nests for scops owls, who do not have enough of natural places to incubate their eggs. In addition, to preserve rare and endangered birds, the company installed about 170 safe nesting structures for white storks in the region, as well as more than 1,500 bird protection devices on high-voltage lines.