MAKHACHKALA, May 4 – RIA "Dagestan." The "Ecotour in Dagestan: VSE SVOI" project, winner of the "More Than a Journey" All-Russian Award in the Rosmolodezh.Grants competition category, brought together more than 250 young people from across Russia in April to foster a new culture of responsible tourism and preserve the region's unique natural landscapes.
Project leader Anna Romanova won the grant by presenting the experience of the "VSE SVOI TRAVEL" team at the awards ceremony. Thanks to high marks from experts the initiative elevated to the federal level under the "Youth and Children" national project.
The team now aims not only to clean up key locations in Dagestan but also to lay the foundation for a new ecological mindset among young people. The project was implemented in two stages. The educational component included a conference at Dagestan State Pedagogical University, where participants analyzed real-world environmental case studies. This was followed by a practical ecotour, during which 17 top volunteers traveled the route "Sulak Canyon – Sarykum Dune – Khunzakh Plateau" applying their knowledge in the field.
The main practical stage involved volunteers traveling to the Gotsatl Reservoir. Participants collected and sent for recycling 250 kg of PET bottles, 55 kg of metal (aluminum and iron), more than 20 bags of plastic canisters, and two bags of bottle caps. All collected materials were donated free of charge to "Ekozavod 05" for processing.
Despite these impressive figures, project leaders emphasize that volunteers address consequences, not root causes. The main problem is the lack of equipped municipal solid waste landfills in mountainous areas and the presence of unauthorized dumpsites. Waste transported to the mountains is not protected from wind, which scatters debris across villages. As a result, plastic ends up in the Avarskoye Koysu River and then flows into the Gotsatl Reservoir.
"Our goal is not just to remove trash but to draw attention to the need to address root causes" - project leader Anna Romanova says.