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After ten days of learning about protecting
the river, campers brave the rapids to see the raw power of water up close
during the DEF International Youth Camp 2004. |
Danube Environmental Forum (DEF) brought young environmentalists
together to learn and share information at the International Youth Camp 2004.
The camp was held from June 25 to July 4 in the village of Karanovac, on an
island in the Vrbas River near Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Young
Researchers of Banja Luka and Eco Rafting Club Canyon organised the camp with
support of donors UNDP/GEF.
Camp participants were young members of environmental NGOs who came together
to focus on water protection principles, improving rivers and wetlands and sharing
experiences to strengthen friendship among their countries. During the ten days,
campers participated in riverbank clean-ups and energy conservation workshops
led by the Centre for Ecology and Energy, and found time for rafting, canoeing,
hiking and swimming.
Participants celebrated Danube Day by performing a minicampaign and distributing
leaflets to citizens on the streets of Banja Luka. This outreach introduced
local citizens to basic concepts of Vrbas River Basin Management and provided
information about the DEF and the protection of rivers, streams and wetlands
in the Danube River Basin.