Scotland - The Solway Woodlands Experience

Got an e-mail from ELF saying that two Estonians will have an opportunity to go to volunteer in Scotland in June to The Solway Woodlands Experience (the opportunity is somehow connected to ELF winning the BTCV Green Hero award, whatever that means :).

Anyway,  seems like a good chance to meet some Estonians, if anyone interested :)

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picture from btcv website

looduseomnibuss news... (Photo Competition and new competition)

You can now view all the winning photos here. All stunning photos! This time none of my photos selected but I can see why :)

But here is ANOTHER!! Painting Competition. Paintings are required of many places in Estonia. The link from Looduse Omnibuss is here.

Lahemaa Photo and Painting Contest

information in Estonian here http://www.keskkonnaamet.ee/index.php?id=26905

anyone can send their paintings and photos of Lahemaa (a beautiful part of Northern Estonia) until May 15, 2011.

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ad by Katrin

Bee Story Collecting

see here: This year, in co-operation with Estonian National Museum, we are also collecting stories from people who have participated in the Day of Civil Actions and other kind of bees in different times. People can send us their stories as well as read other people’s stories on our website - www.teemeara.ee.

more information in Estonian here:
- collecting stories from March 15 until May 13, 2011
- story entering form in the website http://www.teemeara.ee/talgulood
- more information Tiina.Tael@erm.ee, tel. +372 7350420 (ask for example whether stories in English would be accepted ;)
- read stories here 
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photo by English Volunteer in Palupõhja Bee in 2009

Spring Conservation Holiday in Palupõhja 2011

Conservation Holiday for People of All Ages (including Families, but not only)
March 25-27, 2011
in Palupõhja

Information and Registration in Estonian  http://www.talgud.ee/talgud/2011/palupohja-1

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ad by Katrin

photo from the official Palupõhja Holiday ad with the permission of the Project Manager of ELF Conservation Holidays

Send Your Volunteering Story

Read the stories told by the volunteers themselves. And send your own!

Stories are grouped by countries. For example in Estonia department you can find BTCV Community Group of the Year :)

(wonder whether Ian's story should go under Estonia or under United Kingdom... ;)

Conservation Holidays for this Year

You maybe interested in the holidays for this year. With the BTCV you can find information here and with ELF you can find some details here. O and happy birthday ELF... it is 20 this year :)

Looduseomnibus Photo Contest 2011

The Looduseomnibus (Nature Omnibus) Photo Conest for 2011 is now open. I entered last year's competition, and one of my photos was good enough to go on display. However I am sure you can do one better and be in the top 3 of one of the categories.

Photos need to be of different categories of Nature and must be in by 14 March. There are prizes etc and all rules ... in a rough Google translation ... can be found here or in Estonian can be found here.

Good Luck!

Nature Photo Contest in Rakke School

Take a look at http://www.rakkeg.ee/lfv_2010.php .

The Nature Photos Contest electronic voting until Dec. 6.
You can vote once in 12 hours from one external computer for one photo.
Vote by clicking on the button 'Meeldib'.

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ad by Katrin
photo by Ian in Wales (?) (note from Ian: "Yes that is the Welsh moon :)"

Conservation Holidays in Palupõhja in August 2010 - Estonian Registration Opened!

This summer there will be 2 different Conservation Holidays in Palupõhja both with 6 Estonians + 6 British participants.

Estonian info and registration pages here:
#1 - Aug 3.-6.(11.) - http://www.talgud.ee/talgud/2010/alam-pedja-1
#2 - Aug 17.-20.(25.) - http://www.talgud.ee/talgud/2010/alam-pedja-2
See www.btcv.org for british entry - ian
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info by Katrin
photo of the 2009 group from the #1 Conservation Holiday page, taken by ... Allan

Estonia Quiz until 31 May - Win a trip!

Take a quiz and win a 6-day-trip for two to Estonia!
http://quiz.mfa.ee/quiz_2010
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photo by Ian of his First Sight of Estonia in 2010

And yet Another Estonian Photo Contest

http://www.dorpatensis.ee/activities/past-events/photo-competition

Foundation for Science and Liberal Arts Domus Dorpatensis announces a photo competition within the project "Tolerant Tartu"

Topic: TOLERANCE IN AND AROUND US

How do you see tolerance in your surroundings? Where can tolerance be hidden? How tolerant is Tartu and Estonia? Capture interesting moments connected to this topic and win a prize! Approach to the topic with creativity! Everybody is welcome to participate!

Send your photo(s) by e-mail in JPG format by 5 April 2010 to the address dorpatensis@dorpatensis.ee
Make sure to add your name and contact details. Each author can submit up to 3 entries. All images should be accompanied by a caption and if possible also with a supporting text describing the "story" behind the picture. Please keep the file size of the pictures under 1 MB.

The photos will be judged by a jury consisting of members from Domus Dorpatensis, the Tartu City Government, the Tartu Art School and the University of Tartu.

The best photos will be displayed as a slideshow at the final conference of the project "Tolerant Tartu" on 23 April 2010 in the Domus Dorpatensis (Raekoja plats 1/Ülikooli 7). The authors of the three best images will get a prize which will be handed over at the conference. The prizes are gift vouchers amounting to 300, 200 and 100 EEK for the photo shop "Photo Point".

For more information contact us via e-mail at dorpatensis@dorpatensis.ee or call 733 1345.

We wish you good ideas – have fun taking the photos!

The project is supported by the National Foundation for Civil Society.

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photo by Ian in Tartu

Palupõhja Early Spring Family Holiday - Varakevadised peretalgud Palupõhjas

Date: March 25-27, 2010

For anyone who has found this site , people have been, have wanted to go, and people who long to go back
there is a volunteering holiday coming up in Palupohja at the end of this month.

Good chance to do some good things in fresh air and have fun around it.
Katrin was there on the Autumn Holiday and it was lovely and fun as always.

info in Estonian http://www.talgud.ee/talgud/2010/palupohja-1
for getting the info in English try google translate or ask siim@elfond.ee

the autumn family holiday post here - http://palupohja2009.blogspot.com/2009/10/palupohja-holiday.html

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text by Katrin partly copied from post by Ian
photo from the talgud.ee website, looks like a moment from our summer 2009 Palupõhja Holiday

Another Estonian Photo Contest

Estonian announcement http://www.looduseomnibuss.ee/node/1169

A short overview in English with the help from Google Translate:

The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2010. Results on April 18th.
Go to download images: http://www.looduseomnibuss.ee/laf2010/
In the category "Maailma loodus" (Nature of the World) can submit photos taken outside Estonia, in other categories only photos taken in Estonia.
The competition is organized in three age groups: children (up to a 13, inclusive), youth (up to 19, inclusive) and 'Üldarvestus' (the age of participants is not limited).Each photo will participate in only one age group in one category.
Category A - Animals and other living creatures.
Category B - "Animals in action".
Category C - "Plants and Mushrooms".
Category D - "landscape".
E-category - "People in Nature". Images that reflect the human and natural harmony, as well as conflicts.
Category F - "Form Games in nature." Shapes and patterns in nature. Can focus on the depiction of nature in abstract form.
G-category, "Nature of the World". Nature photos taken outside Estonia.

Each participant can submit up to 15 photos.

The length of the longer side of the image file must be at least 2000 pixels and max 6000 pixels.
.jpg file max 5 MB.
There are prizes too :)

Further information: tel 648 1740, 56 476 297, 56 483 480
info@looduseomnibuss.ee
www.looduseomnibuss.ee

previous competition post here http://palupohja2009.blogspot.com/2009/12/fotokonkurss-elamusi-emajoel.html
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photo by Ian of the Man Cleaning the Roof of Snow and Answering the Mobile Phone in Tartu 2010

Happy Holidays!

Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year time.... and happy holidays... which leads me to that you can now book to go back to Palupõhja ... or other places in Estonia:

http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/int_est_info1

Post by Ian; photo, õ, link and labels added by Katrin.

Photo by Ellen

Palupohja Holiday

Date: 29 okt – 1. Oct. - 1 nov 2009 Nov 2009

For anyone who has found this site , people have been, have wanted to go, and people who long to go back
there is a volunteering holiday coming up in Palupohja at the end of this month


From what I can make out is that you may help clearing autumn stuff such as leaves , branches, trimming things up and the like.
Of course that can all change but I am sure you will be helping out in a way that will be appreciated.

Also you will be having fun

and I recommend singing as one of the fun activities... or maybe just the listening :o)

in Estonian

and via google in English:


photo by Michelle

Photo Contest Elamusi Emajõel

Tartu Environmental Education Centre
Photo Contest
for photos taken on and around Emajõgi.
More info in Estonian here.
Deadline Oct 31, 2009.
Anyone welcome to participate.

As far as I remember
the river in Palupõhja
was Emajõgi,
but the river
in the place
where we made the fires
and had lunches
was Alam-Pedja,
so the last one
would not qualify
i guess.
And who remembers
which pictures
were taken where?

ad by Katrin
photo by Ian on Emajõgi :)

Translation in Summary by Katrin:


naturalists of all ages can participate
best photos will be on exhibition in the Environmental EducationCentre
Deadline October 31st
2 categories:
nature (looduspildid in Estonian)
and people in action near/on Emajogi (looduselamused in Estonian)

Every participant can send up to 3 pictures in each category
Every photo must have a smart title and the exact time and place of photo

1st prize - trip down Emajogi
2nd prize - get a necessarynature-friend's backbag
3rd prize - a nature book

The photos on paper (size 15*20 cm) must be sent to: RMKEmajõe-Suursoo looduskeskus, Kavastu küla, Luunja vald, Tartumaa.Digital photos in jpg-format to emajoe-suursoo.looduskeskus@rmk.ee .

For to have a high-quality print-outs the digital photos must be at least 1800x2400 pixels and resolution 300 dpi. And do not forget to add the author's name, age and contact information.

The winners will be announcedon Nov. 9, 2009.

The competition is sponsored by local governments of Luunja, Vara andMäksa, Emajõe Jõeriik Foundation, Peipsi Vikat Society, South-EstonianFishermen Society and Emajõe Nupuklubi Society. For more information: Eerika Purgel Tel 676 7998, 506 7248 emajoe-suursoo.looduskeskus@rmk.ee www.rmk.ee