The International Children's and Youth Award "Ecology is Everyone's Business" has attracted more than 21.5 thousand applications from children and adults from all over the world since the beginning of the third season, which is 2.5 times higher than the level of the same period last year, Svetlana Radionova, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Environmental Management, said today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. She noted that Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Singapore and Azerbaijan became the new participating countries of the Rosprirodnadzor Award.

"Our Award "Ecology is everyone's business" worldwide attracts a lot of attention from everyone who loves nature, who is ready not only to contemplate, but to stand up for it, to offer solutions for its preservation and salvation. We can see how the number of incoming works for the Award has increased significantly. If last year in the first 3.5 months we received more than 8.6 thousand applications, then this season – already 2.5 times more – more than 21.5 thousand! The Prize's geography of participants is expanding. In the first two years, children from Russia and 38 other countries showed how to take care of nature, why a conscious attitude to the environment is important. The new season has already received applications from participants from more than 20 countries, including six new ones – Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Singapore, Azerbaijan. This means that we all speak the same language – the language of ecology. It is very important for us that there are no borders for this communication, environmental protection issues concern everyone, because it depends on how we can preserve nature today, what tomorrow will be like," Svetlana Radionova said.

The head of Rosprirodnadzor noted that three new nominations appeared in the third season of the project – "Ecology of the Soul", "Ecotourism" and "Eco-education", in which adults, including students, teachers, mentors, "silver" volunteers can participate. According to her, the youngest participant is currently 6 years old, and the oldest is 65.

Svetlana Radionova also reminded that within the framework of the Ecology is Everyone's Business Award, a competition is being held for the best installation of a polar bear, and the first works from different parts of our country have already been received.

"The polar bear is the mascot of our Award. In May, we announced a competition for the best installation of a polar bear to draw attention to the topic of preserving a living symbol of the Arctic, and we have already received a lively response from, first of all, children. 13-year-old Nikita Tsitsarkin from St. Petersburg made a polar bear out of clay, 14-year–old Darina Vatutina from Novosibirsk - from the remains of plasticine, and 16-year-old Victoria Lotnik from Volgodonsk, Rostov region came up with and showed how to make eco-brooches in the form of a bear from cattails. I also invite adult participants to join this competition, because ecology is everyone's business," the head of Rosprirodnadzor said.