October 19, 2019
Korgalzhyn village, Akmola region

CEREMONY OF AWARDING THE WINNERS OF THE “FLAMINGO-2019” FESTIVAL

On October 19, 2019, the awarding ceremony of the winners of the “Flamingo-2019” Republican Creative Festival will be held at the Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve of the Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The organizers of the Festival are the Corporative Fund "Biodiversity Conservation Fund of Kazakhstan", "Korgalzhyn Ecological Observatory" and RSU "Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve", with financial support from ERG (Eurasian Group). The festival is held in partnership with the local executive authority of the Korgalzhyn district. The event will also bring together representatives of the Committee on Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as media representatives.

The main goal of the “Flamingo-2019” festival is to promote the development of environmental culture and education of schoolchildren throughout Kazakhstan, as well as to draw public attention to the Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The “Flamingo” festival has been held annually since 2008, having turned into a good tradition among schools in Kazakhstan. Until 2013, the festival was held on a regional scale by the staff of the reserve and the local executive authority of the Korgalzhyn district. Since 2013, the main sponsor of the event is ERG (Eurasian Group), a leading diversified company in the extraction and processing of natural resources in Kazakhstan.

“The Flamingo festival, which has become a traditional event for us, is important not only for our company, but also for the country as a whole,” comments Talgat Torebekov, Director of the Environmental Protection Department of the Eurasian Group. - We are convinced that such projects help to develop the environmental education of our children; it is in their hands that we will leave Kazakhstan. Responsibility is one of the values of ERG: the company's employees not only fulfill their obligations to their stakeholders, but also responsibly to the environment. Our cooperation with Korgalzhyn reserves is a vivid confirmation of this.

Why Flamingo?

Flamingo is a symbol of the Korgalzhyn Reserve and the Korgalzhyn Ecological Observatory, as this bird is quite exotic, rare and therefore listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Flamingo is a colonial, migratory bird. And it is no accident that this bird chooses Teniz-Korgalzhyn lakes for nesting in warm time: in addition to the favorable climate, they are attracted to food - various invertebrates, their eggs, algae seeds and other organics of the lakes. Until mid-October, birds can still stray together in shallow water, then the cold chases them away to other warm countries.

What is attractive Korgalzhyn reserve?

Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve (GU "KGPZ") is a unique place due to the rich wildlife, rare species of birds, animals and plants. In 1976, Teniz-Korgalzhyn Lakes were included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. In 2000, Teniz Lake was included in the list

of the Living Lakes international organization, which includes the most unique lakes in the world. In 2007, the reserve became part of a worldwide network of sites recognized as extremely valuable for bird conservation (IBA). In 2008, the reserve was included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List, and in 2012 it was re-recognized by UNESCO as the first biosphere reserve in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Why environmental festivals?

Environmental festivals - an interesting and effective form of development of environmental culture and education, is a vivid event in the life of the local population and allows you to reach a larger number of adults and children. Environmental festivals are very productive in helping to foster a love of nature among children and adolescents through environmental contests for children's creativity. The festival draws the attention of the population of Kazakhstan to the problems of preserving unique biodiversity, educates the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, responsibility for the nature of their land, involves the population in creative processes and initiatives, identifies and stimulates talented participants.

What kind of festival is “Flamingo - 2019”?

The following 5 nominations were announced within the framework of the Republican festival “Flamingo-2019”:

1. Fine art (paintings, drawings).

Evaluation criteria: compliance with a given topic; originality of design and level of artistic performance.

2. Decorative and applied art (crafts made from natural materials: stones, shells, gypsum, paper, embroidery, carpet weaving, knitting, macramé, work with beads, appliqués, felt, etc.).

Evaluation criteria: compliance with a given topic, originality of design and level of artistic performance.

3. Short film (computer graphics, video clips, animation, etc.) timekeeping no more than 60 sec.

Evaluation Criteria: Topic disclosure, directorial and technical level of the material, presentation; originality of creative design and solution; mastery and artistry of performance; relevance to a given topic.

4. Photography (a series of color and black-and-white photographs ranging in size from 18x24 to 30x40cm (5 units in total)).

5. Ecological tale (volume - not more than 1 sheet of A-4 format).

Competition entries were accepted from April 15, 2019 to October 12, 2019. The best works submitted to the competition in five nominations will be exhibited on October 19, 2019 during the award ceremony in the village of Korgalzhyn, Akmola region.

The program of the award ceremony includes the direct procedure for presenting prizes to winners and diplomas for children's mentors, as well as a concert program, visiting the Korgalzhyn zapovenik by festival guests, an ecological quest, various master classes and environmental events.

What are expected as a result of the Flamingo-2019 festival?

The young generation of Kazakhstan in the person of schoolchildren will receive new knowledge, broaden their horizons and receive unforgettable emotions, and, of course, prizes! Teachers will be awarded with diplomas in gratitude for their help in the development of environmental education in Kazakhstan. And, most importantly - thanks to close cooperation and interaction, strengthening of common efforts, the conservation of biodiversity in Kazakhstan will increase and attract more attention from year to year, which means that the chances of its success will increase. After all, as the saying goes: "Those who have disappeared cannot be returned, but the remaining can be saved." The Flamingo-2019 festival helps the development of environmental education and eco-education in Kazakhstan, as well as contributes to the preservation of the natural wealth of our country!