Art competition "Paint and be Closer to Nature" again compels more than a hundred pupils to venture into the great outdoors

This year has seen what is already the sixth instalment of the art competition "Paint and Be Closer to Nature", which NET4GAS organises for children in collaboration with the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP). At the beginning of the new school year, the authors of the winning entries in the three age categories, along with their classmates and their form teachers, embarked on a guided excursion into nature or visited a sanctuary for injured wildlife. 

"One of the goals behind the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, is to motivate people to go and explore the beauty of nature, to instil in them a desire to protect nature, and to deepen awe and appreciation for its treasures," in the words of Zuzana Kučerová of NET4GAS. "All told, 130 drawings and paintings were submitted in this year's competition, and about eighty children embarked on an excursion with us," added Kučerová. 

"Environmental education is a core activity of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation. Working with children 'on the ground', outside, surrounded by nature, really adds value – what they take away from such first-hand experience will stay with them the most. For our part, we strive to make these excursions for the winners not only educational, but above all entertaining, and to create a positive experience that is unforgettable for the kids," said Kateřina Adámková of the ČSOP. Aside from small material prizes, which will come in handy on day trips, and a subscription to "Naše příroda" for the winners, all children thus went home with enjoyable memories of a great trip and a wealth of useful knowledge. For instance: what one should do if they find an injured wild animal or abandoned offspring; how and why birds are ringed; or how beavers build their massive dams (with the latter being a central attraction along the 'Water World' educational trail in the Bohemian Forest).

The three age groups were as follows: kindergartners attending the final preparatory classes at pre-school, elementary school pupils in first through third grade, and elementary school pupils in fourth through sixth grade. The task for those who participated in the competition was to go outside and draw a picture that captures one of the many sites that the ČSOP has unlocked for the general public within the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme, which can be found on the website www.blizprirode.cz. This web portal serves as the communication platform for NET4GAS Closer to Nature, and provides information on the sites that were captured by the budding artists in the competition, but also on many other interesting spots of nature to be found in this country.

Find more information on the competition here.