News - University of Arkansas
GLOBE and Baltic sea project camp in Lithuania 2021
The Baltic Sea Project and GLOBE program camp took place last week. Participants from international projects, gathered in a camp in Klaipeda from all over Lithuania to get to know the nature of the Lithuanian seaside and each other better. During the three-day camp, there was no shortage of various outdoor education activities.
The camp started with a visit to the Seaside Regional Park. After visiting the visitor center, watching a movie and listening to the park director’s lesson, we set off on a seaside hike. On the way we found Bryozoa, goby fish and other sea attractions thrown ashore. Methodologist from Lithuanian Centre of Non-formal Youth Education Tomas Pocius told about the horse bone fossil he discovered in exact this place, near Dutchman's hat during simmilar trip a few years ago. It is estimated that this find is at least 39 thousand years old! Meanwhile, the participants themselves also found many small fossils in the coastal pebbles while hiking.
After walking about four kilometers of seaside sand, we approached the Memel-Nord Coastal Artillery Battery. There we were already waiting for a guide dressed in a military uniform, who told in detail both about the history of this place and about his experiences and findings in this historic place.
After stepping on the march, climbing on the roof of the battery, getting familiar with various historical anthems and visiting the recently installed exposition, we traveled to see an even older area and headed towards Kukuliškės mound. Although the mound dates back to another 800-500 m. B.C, scientists discovered it only five years ago!
Because of Kaišiadorys Algirdas Brazauskas Gymnasium willingly accepted us all to their school we also visited the pier and finally went to the dormitory. There, the first part of the game "who will win the melon?" was waiting for the participants.
The second day started with an acquaintance with King Wilhelm Canal. After a brief acquaintance with its history, we headed to the walking trail. While walking along the trail towards the bird watching tower, we also discovered many other species along the way. A legless lizard, called a copper snake, ran across the road, the first who reached the meadow saw the roe deers, and right next to the prey of the bird-watching tower, a wasp spider was lurking for a prey.
After visiting the creatures of the meadow and the forest, seeing the lagoon from the tower, we traveled to the small town called Dreverna. There we were already waited in Jonas Gižas ethnographic homestead. We were introduced to the craft of shipbuilding, the meanings of windmills and homestead objects, and the acquired knowledge was tested in a battle game!
Finally it’s time for lunch. But while the elders went to eat, the strongest (and youngest!) participants decided to swap lunch for a chance to climb the Dreverna Observation Tower!
Seen from the tower, power kites flying in the distance caught our eyes. Turns out, in the distance we saw a power kite base in Svencelė! That’s where we went to get a closer look at this amazing sport. Although Svencelė greeted us with a truly extraordinary sight - as many as forty-two flying power kites and sixteen power kites on the ground, it turned out that we were lost! We had to go back to Dreverna Tower. And there, with the help of an instructor, we not only saw and even touched the equipment, not only watched the tricks performed by a professional athlete on the water board, but the bravest children dared to get into the water themselves!
First there was skateboarding challenge. Although everything seemed really complicated, the student, who had just skied a few times, was already standing quite well and even tried to make turns. This was followed by a flight of power kites. But it was necessary to lift the kite off the ground with the help of the students at first! When it was lifted and the instructor made a few jumps in the air, it turned out that the kite was too small to fly for two and he would need a bigger one! And when the big kite was lifted into the air, the two brave kids tested the flight between the sky and water by themselves.
After going back and having dinner, even after eating yesterday's melon, there was only thing left unfinished - to figure out who will win the pumpkin tonight!
On the last day of the camp, the hiking outfit was replaced by more elegant clothes, and the forest was replaced by the old halls of Klaipeda University.
At Klaipeda University, underwater archaeologist prof. habil. dr. Vladas Žulkus told about his research, which has been carried out for over twenty years. We learned not only about the sunken ships lying on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, but also about the ancient forest lying there, about the peat layers that have been telling for thousands of years of history, and about the legacy of mounds lying in the lakes.
This was followed by a walk around Klaipeda Old Town. The exclusive old town of the port city is decorated not only with the beautiful ship “Meridian” but also with a buttoned wall and many other art projects.
While the camp is over, the projects continue! We are waiting for the participants at the annual conference with new ideas, strengths and inspiration! We are glad that the long hikes in nature were not disrupted by the weather, we say thank you to the teachers, students and everyone who contributed to the creation of the camp! Thank you all for being together!
News origin: GLOBE Implementation Office