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Description
Silesian Park in Chorzów is one of the biggest city parks in Europe. An oasis of green in the middle of Upper Silesia agglomeration that’s home to several million people and the most industrialized part of the country. The Park is important for those living in the region and many are engaged in caring for it. In 2011, as a part of a grassroot initiative, a senior volunteering program was implemented. It still operates today. But regardless of such positive examples, the research from the Regional Center for the Social Policy for Silesia Voivodeship showed that only four percent of seniors are active in any kind of organization. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the youth, generally more active in the field of volunteering but having very little contact with nature. We would like to create an inter-generational volunteering program focused on environmental protections and the Silesia Park as our answer to the described problem. We will have a series of workshops for the youth and the seniors that will focus on environmental protection practices, and we will engage them in cleaning patrols around the park. We will also monitor the air pollution levels and the influence of the neighboring towns on the fauna and flora of the park. The participants of the workshops will spend the entire year monitoring the pollution in the park, completing tasks such as caring for plants and feeding animals during their weekly patrols. Their actions and conclusions from their observations will be passed along to the local authorities on an ongoing basis. The Park Foundation will be our partner in the project. We have been collaborating since 2018. The foundation has workshop space as well as equipment (binoculars, microscopes, bikes) necessary for our monitoring work in the park. What is more, the Silesia Park Foundation has all the necessary permits for work in the park and using its resources.
Summary of project results
The Silesian Park, located in Chorzów, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe, a green oasis amid the heavily industrialized Upper Silesian metropolitan area in the most industrialized region of the country. This park is very important to the residents of the region, and many people are engaged in activities to support it. In 2011, a senior volunteer initiative was established - initiated by interested individuals - and it continues to exist today. However, according to research conducted by the Regional Center for Social Policy, only 4% of older people in the Silesian Voivodeship are involved in any organization. Youth, as our observations indicate, are more active in volunteering, but have limited contact with nature.In response to these challenges, we created an intergenerational volunteer program for environmental conservation and the Silesian Park. We conducted a series of workshops for both young people and seniors on nature conservation and eco-volunteering and engaged them in cleanup patrols within the Silesian Park and plant care activities. We also conducted an online survey to gather opinions and ideas for improvements in the Silesian Park, with 100 respondents participating.As a culmination of these efforts, we organized a debate where participants could share their views and engage with the opinions of presenters. The main topics of discussion revolved around safety, orderliness, and collective responsibility for the park. Our partner in this initiative was the Silesian Park Foundation, with whom we have been cooperating since 2018. The foundation provided workshop facilities and equipment (binoculars, microscopes, bicycles) needed to carry out activities in the park. Furthermore, the Silesian Park Foundation has all the necessary permissions to conduct social activities within the Silesian Park and to utilize its resources.From the evaluation surveys, we know that through the workshops, participants increased their knowledge in areas such as air pollution, waste, and volunteering. Moreover, thanks to the work of the eco-patrols, there was greater intergenerational integration among participants, and their social activity has also increased.
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