While the fourth years were sweating over their Slovak examinations on 12th March 2024, the other students were treated to a visit from Ing. Juraj Žiak of the Spoločnosť pre vzdelávanie a environmentálnu výchovu.
The first part of his talk gave practical advice on what to do if you encounter a bear in the wild; information about the local area, its ecology and why bear encounters are becoming more common; and interesting details about how local organisations monitor the bear population, how the situation is changing and the ongoing discussions concerning solutions to the problems that exist.
The second part was focused on the work of his animal shelter in Nolčovo, and gave opportunities for students to encounter animals, such as two beautiful owls, close up. The students engaged enthusiastically with the programme and most took full advantage of the experiences that it offered.