Ashgabat, 3 June 2010. On 3rd of June in anticipation of the World Environment Day which is widely celebrated on 5th of June in many countries of the world a scientific and practical conference for the teachers of biology of Balkan province took place at the Museum of the Hazar reserve, Turkmenbashi city. The conference was organized with the help of the Global Environment Facility project “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Globally Significant Biological Diversity in Hazar Nature Reserve on the Caspian Sea Coast” implemented jointly with the UN Development Program and the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan.

The main objective of the conference was to increase awareness about the current state of environment in the Turkmen part of the Caspian sea, it’s flora and fauna as well as involvement of schoolchildren via teachers to the activities of the Hazar reserve on protection of environment. 
The conference gathered around 40 participants, including the representatives of UNDP, Hazar project and specialists of Hazar reserve.

Specialists of Hazar reserve have shared with the participants information about the history of Hazar reserve, the state of it’s flora and fauna, activities on involving local people to the activities of the reserve on nature protection. The presentation on the recently held monitoring on the number of Caspian seals – an endemic of the Caspian sea as well as birds wintering on the territory of the reserve arose big interest of participants.

Biology teachers participating at the conference made presentations about the activities that they hold in their respective schools on learning the environment of the region, competitions on the best expert of birds inhabiting the region, making stands, and preparation of different papers devoted to various themes related to environment.

An initiative group called “Young ecologist” at the school #14 of Turkmenabshi city arose interest of participants, members of this group as a part of extra school activities prepare herbariums, participate in excursions and different contests organized with the help of Hazar reserve. 
Upon completion of the conference the Hazar project, has given the representative of each school the most recent publications of the project prepared by scientists of the National Institute of desert, flora and fauna of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan within implementation of the project. Publications given to school libraries included “Snakes of Turkmenistan” in three languages, classifier of vertebrate animals of Turkmenistan in Latin, Turkmen and Russian languages and a short guide of birds inhabiting Turkmen part of the Caspian.

This conference, with the help of Hazar project is already held for the second time and differs from the previous one with the larger scope of participants who represent not only administrative center of Balkan province – the city of Turkmenbashi, but also pilot settlements of the project closely located to the reserve and depend on the use of the resources of Caspian region. Increasing awareness on the possibility of alternative means of income with the aim of sustainable use of natural resources, participation in joint management of the reserve are the priority directions of the project activities. In increasing awareness of people about the local environment and the need for careful treatment of it’s resources the largest importance is given to schools where from the childhood the basis of environmental knowledge are given, which will define behavior of people and attitude to environment. Organizing such events, Hazar project facilitates promotion of environmental education and formation of environmental ethics, basis of which are laid down at school will pre-determine the state of environment in future.