DANUBE4all pilot River Walk takes place in Serbia!

Building on last year’s successful partnership with Drinkable Rivers, in which we trialled the organisation's open invitation, citizen science River Walk initiative at three locations along the Danube, we’ve just completed our first in-house River Walk in Serbia!

On October 22, colleagues Dr. Jovana Kostić, Dr. Karolina Sunjog, Dr. Željka Višnjić-Jeftić, and Dr. Marija Smederevac-Lalić from University of Belgrade – Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, organized an outdoor workshop near the Podunav Canal, part of the “Gornje Podunavlje” Special Nature Reserve.

Images courtesy of IMSI

The workshop, held under the banner River Walk Family, saw sixth-grade students from 'Primary School, 22.October' come together to learn about the Danube river and river systems in general. Students learned about the importance of wetland ecosystems, the factors threatening them, and the possibilities for their restoration.

The special significance of this workshop lies in helping young generations living by the river to understand its value and in encouraging connections between people and the environment — the river family, aquatic ecosystems, and local communities.

"Our goal here is to highlight the importance of healthy ecosystems and the role of citizens in their protection and restoration."

Images courtesy of IMSI

Through a series of short, hands-on activities exploring water’s physical and chemical properties, microorganisms, the rich biodiversity of floodplain zones, and the challenges facing aquatic ecosystems, the day was a great success, building new connections and laying the groundwork for future collaborations.

We hope that these sort of educational activities and hands-on experiences will serve as a springboard for more educational activities and opportunities for young people throughout the Danube region!