Congratulations!

Results of National Stages of the YPEF 2010/2011 International Contest

According to the information of YPEF National Contest Commissions the YPEF International Contest Commission announces the official results of National Stages of the YPEF 2010/2011 International Contest in European countries.

The winners are:

1.    Austria - Jürgen Gasser,   Michael Pusterhofer,  Johanna Köttstorfer, and Carina Steinkogler or Benno Czernin-Kinsky as a substitute from Technical Forestry High School Bruck an der Mur (Styria);
2.    Czech Republic - Lenka Čurnová , Leona Veselá and Václav Nuc from Gymnasium České Budějovice;  
3.    Estonia - M. Pilliroog, L. Halvin and T. Hemits from Polva Gymnaasium; 
4.    Germany - Adrian Bielefeldt and Jessica Hoffmann from Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium in Eberswalde;
5.    Hungary - Anna Kemenes, Zsolt Pásztori and  Gergely Ujvári from Baár-Madas Református Gimnázium; 
6.    Latvia - Edgars Lecelnieks, Nils Fridriksons and Arturs Mikelens from Ogres Meža Tehnikums;
7.    Lithuania - Marius Macijauskas, Vytas Navickas and Vytenis  Sabaliauskas from Viešintai Secondary School;
8.    Poland - Monika Ciupak, Karol Rokita and Maciej Turek from Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących Nr 2 im. F.D. Kniaźnina in Puławy; 
9.    Portugal - Ana Filipa M. F. Marques, Inês S. Solino Oliveira and Joana Vaz Barbosa from  Penafiel’s High School ;
10.    Romania - Turcu Bogdan, Badale Oana and Aromanesei Răzvan from Bucovina  Forestry High School  in Câmpulung Moldovenesc;
11.    Slovenia - Anja Kovič Kocjančič and Mojca Plot from Gimnazija Ledina School;

The above winners are invited together with teacher and representative of National Contest Commission to the final in Poland, which will take place on 28th-29th of September 2011 in Ruciane-Nida/ Ryn (Masuria Lakes Distict).

The International Contest Commission congratulates the winners of YPEF National Stages and wishes success at the European Stage.

The YPEF International Contest Commission:
Andrzej Kawalec – Chairman; Thomas Baschny, Anatolii Getmanchuk, László Hoczek, Fernando Molina Martinez – Vice-Chairmen; Maciej Białecki – Secretary; Naja Benedičič, Marios Christodoulou, Juta Jago, Stanislav Janský, Mindaugas Maksvytis, Robert George Pache, Inga Pētersone, Astrid Schilling, Sergii Sheremeta – Members.

Read information about the YPEF 2010/2011 Contest in:

Austria  

  Report about the National Stage Contest YPEF in Austria!

The National Stage Contest took place on 4th of July 2011 (0.00 a.m. – 02.00 p.m.) at the Technical Forestry High School Bruck an der Mur (Styria), Dr. Theodor Körnerstrasse 44, 8600 Bruck / Mur.
In Austria the Contest was organized by the Union of Austrian Foresters.
The Contest language was Englisch. The Contest had two parts:
1^st category: list of questions
2^nd category: presentation of Austrian´s forest (10 minutes)

Participants are the students from 4th classes - Forestry High School. (4a and 4b)
5 teams (two students per team) came to the final round.

The National Commission decided:

Winners are:  1. Mr.   Jürgen Gasser (4a),
           2. Mr.   Michael Pusterhofer (4b),
           3. Mrs. Johanna Köttstorfer (4a)
           4. Mrs. Carina Steinkogler (4a) and
           5. Mr.   Benno Czernin-Kinsky (4b)

The 3 winners will go to Poland to the International Contest + 1 substitute (Number 4 or 5), together with Mrs. Prof. Bettina Gailberger (Member of National Commission and Professor at Technical Forestry High School Bruck an der Mur) and Mr. Wolfgang Schweighofer (Vice-president of National Commission).

Ing. Thomas Baschny
(President of National Commission)

• Czech Republic

In Czech Republic contest was organized by SVOL - Sdružení hájící společné zájmy všech vlastníků nestátních lesů (Association of Municipal and Private Forest Owners ). Date of the contest: 3-5.06.2011. Place of the contest: 3 - 4.06.2011 - Spálené Poříčí (cca 30 km direstion south - east from Pilsen), 5.06.2011 - municipal forests in Pilsen. The YPEF contest was combined with Ecology Olympic Contest.  The participants of the contest were ten best teams from Czech schools, three persons in each team, chosen from 3 000 participants who started at the beginning.

During three days participants had to solve different tasks. They had do present two kinds of forests in their neighborhood -  natural and such being in management of man; another task was to solve knowledge tests.  They were given  the YPEF test with 50 questions, for which they had been preparing from materials published on www.ypef.eu. Participants also had to show their knowledge on two forest trails, where they found different practical tasks- from identifying trees species to measurement of tree size.

After three days of competition the final took place in beautiful hall in Západočeské Muzeum in Pilsen. All participants, teachers, guests and organizers met to reward the winners. After kind speeches of Mayor of Pilsen and organizers it was announced, that the winner was the team from Gymnasium České Budějovice School: Lenka Čurnová, Leona Veselá and Václav Nuc. Congratulations!

The YPEF representatives from Poland who visited National Stage Contest in Czech Republic had a great pleasure to invite winners to Poland, to participate in the final stage of Young People in European Forests YPEF 2010/2011 contest. Forest  Friends Association, YPEF people and  the State Forests National Forest Holding are looking forward to meet young people, participants of YPEF contest in Poland during the final!

•  Estonia

Estonia is the first European country, where the YPEF national contest took place.The National Stage was organized on 19th of April by YPEF National Commission, which gathers representatives of the  Estonian Society of Foresters, the foundation Private Forest Center (PFC)) and Estonian Forestry Students Association. Official language of National Stage contest is Estonian. That means that all educational materials has been translated to Estonian.Thank you Juta Jago very much!

The winners are: M.Pilliroog, L.Halvin and T. Hemits from Polva Gumnaasium. All results  can be seen here: See results of National Stage in Estonia. Special thanks to Estonian National Commission: Juta Jago, Heiki Hepner,  Mart Kelk, Pille Răľivas, Kristel Arukask, Pille Aasamets, Meelis Matkamäe.

• Germany  

YPEF in Germany is from February 2011 represented by Faculty of Forest and Environment of University in Eberswalde (HNEE). Country which host participants of YPEF 2010/2011 final is Poland.  
This Contest is new way of cooperation of NGOs organization, experts in forestry and young people environmental education in Europe. National Stages and International Stages are organized. Organization of contest is based on cooperation and partnership between goverment agencies and NGOs organizations connected with forestry.

Organizer of Contest in Germany:
 Dipl. Agrar Ing. Astrid Schilling. Contact:
Telefon: 03334-657167
Fax: 03334-657162
E-mail:  Astrid.Schilling@hnee.de

Dipl Geogr Stephanie Gotza
Telefon: 03334-657 166
E-mail:  Stephanie.Gotza@hnee.de

Winners of German Contest in 2011 are: Adrian Bielefeldt and Jessica Hoffmann from Alexander von Humboldt-Gymnasium-Eberswalde)

Congratulation!

In this year contest took place in six schools in Branderburg:
   
•    Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium, Eberswalde (8 Teams)
•    Freies Joachimsthaler Gymnasium, Joachimsthal (8 Teams)
•    Max-Kienitz-Grundschule, Britz (2 Teams)
•    Gymnasium Finow, Eberswalde (4 Teams)
•    Barnim Gymnasium, Bernau (53 Teams!)
•    Einstein Gymnasium, Angermünde (4 Teams)

Teams consisted of 2-3 pupils

165 pupils , age from 12 to 18, took part in contest in Germany. Best team Adrian Bielefeldt and Jessica Hoffmann (16 years old) from Alexander von Humboldt-Gymnasium-, Eberswalde, got 42 scores. Greetings for all pupils who took part in the contest!

• Hungary

The first round of international contest "Young People in European Forests" in Hungary  took place in the participating schools on 28th of April. The following schools got to the final round:
.  Bolyai J. Ált. Isk. és Gimnázium, Szombathely
.  Eötvös József Gimnázium, Tata
.  Fekete István Gimnázium, Ajka
.  Földes Ferenc Gimnázium, Miskolc
.  Tóparti Gimnázium, Székesfehérvár

The final round in Hungary has been held at the Forestry Information Centre (Erdészeti Információs Központ, 1021-Budapest Budakeszi út 91.) on 25 June 2011

The "Baár-Madas Református Gimnázium" represents Hungary in the international finals. The team of 'Baár-Madas Református Gimnázium' from Budapest won the Young People in European Forests (YPEF) contest’s national finals in Hungary, so they represent the country on the 28-29^th of September 2011 at the international finals held in Poland, where thirteen European countries' students compare their skills.

The winners of the contest, which in Hungary was announced jointly by the Hungarian Forestry Association and the "Kitaibel Pál" School Competition will participate in a three-day preparatory camp in the "Madas András" Forest School in Visegrád thanks to the "Pilisi Parkerdő" Forestry Co. Ltd in July.

The best of the 17 Hungarian teams entered for the contest in English compared their knowledge on June 25 at the national finals this year in the Forestry Information Centre in Budapest. In the award ceremony Gergely Lomniczi, Secretary General of the Hungarian Forestry Association, said that Hungary was not occupied in decreasing forest area in the "International Year of Forest" as the country's forests had increased steadily over the last hundred years. Though the whole society has to make aware, preserving of this natural heritage is our shared responsibility.

The top three teams:

I.: Baár-Madas Református Gimnázium, Budapest
Anna Kemenes
Zsolt Pásztori
Gergely Ujvári
teacher: Dávid Vetlényi

II.: Radnóti Miklós Kísérleti Gimnázium, Szeged
Anna Nászai
Noémi Országh
Anna Vadász
teacher: Éva Fazekasné Gulyás, Viktória Gál

III.: Eötvös József Gimnázium, Tata
Annoh Jennifer
Máté Éliás
Márton Fazekas
teacher: Jankyné Jurecska Mária

The Hungarian Forestry Association would like to congratulate the finalist! We wish the team got to the international finals all the best and a successful preparation for the contest which we will help the students with.

Hungarian Forestry Association

• Latvia

National Stage of YPEF Competition took place in Ogres Meža tehnikums - the 10th of May. The National Stage has been  organized by JSC "Latvijas valsts meži" ( Latvia’s State Forests)  in cooperation with Ogres Meža tehnikums (Ogre Forestry School). The Competition was  opened for every pupil of Ogres Meža tehnikums, not less than 12 and not more than 18 years old in the beginning of the school year 2010/2011. National Stage was held during one day, when all the contestants have been  asked to answer 50 questions of the test, recieved from the International Contest Commission. Competition was  held in English. The winning team are Ogre Forestry school pupils: Edgars Iecelnieks (18 years old), Nils Fridriksons (16 years old) and Arturs Mikelens.

• Lithuania

National stage of the Contest was organized by Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Faculty of Forestry and Ecology in cooperation with Lithuanian Union of Foresters Young Forest Friends Society. I stage - registration of the participants till the 1st of April, II stage - 1st of April, 2011 - 12th of May, 2011 - preparation for the National stage. III stage - National stage 12th of May, 2011. Participants will send a team, consisting from 2-3 pupils, at least one person in a team is expected to speak English. During this stage participants must fulfill two tasks: to represent their circle, club, school forestry and to resolve a test. Winner is the team with the highest number of points. Winner of the National Stage Contest received an invitation to participate in the European Stage in Poland. The second and the third place winners will be awarded with prizes. The link with information is http://www.jmbs.lt/ (bottom of the start page, under "Naujienos" -> TARPTAUTINIS KONKURSAS "JAUNIMAS EUROPOS MIŠKUOSE

In 2011 12th of May plenty of young forest friends you could meet in the corridors of Lithuanian University of Agriculture Faculty of Forestry and Ecology. Two events toked place under one roof: National stage of the contest "Young People in European Forests" and traditionally National Contest of Forestry. 5 teams of pupils were registered for the YPEF Contest, unfortunately just 3 teams, because of various reasons were able to take part in the Contests on the 12th of May.
First  task was to represent place where participants came from and organization which they are representing. All three teams have prepared very nice presentations, showing their daily life, nature and activities in the forest. Followed by it, questionnaires were given for each team. After two hours of struggle all teams finished this task as well. It was very difficult to decided which team is the winner, but after hard discussions and points counting, commission decided following:
1st place goes to young forest friends from Viešintai secondary school's forest friends circle "Atžalynas" (with 13 final points). 2nd place goes to young forest friends from Druskininkai "Saulės" secondary school's forest friends circle "Sakalėliai" (with 11 final points). 3th place goes to young forest friends from Kunigiškiai secondary school's forest friends circle "Degsniukai" (with 10 final points).

•  Poland

In Poland contest was organized by Forest Friends Association and the State Forests National Forest Holding. The National Stage in Polish schools took place on 28th of April. Official language of the National Stage was Polish. Teachers- coordinators checked results of tests and sent by the 10th of May to Regional Contest Commissions (17 Regional Contest Commissions in whole Poland).

On the 30th  of May the National Contest Commission accepted tests of 3012 teams from 620 Polish schools.  Fourteen teams got the highest score-50 points. According to Rules of National Stage, Commission decided to organize a run- off contest. Teams, that received 50 points during first step, were invited to take part in the second step of the contest.

    On 17th of June, in Warsaw University of Life Science the final step of Polish National Stage took place. Eleven  teams from ten schools came to solve the YPEF test.

Participants answered 50 questions about forest and forestry in Europe and 19 European countries.   According to amount of received points Polish National Commission announced the results of  YPEF National Stage in Poland.

The winner of Polish National Stage, with 46 points, is team: Monika Ciupak, Karol Rokita, Maciej Turek with teachers Halina Pytlak and Marzena Górecka from Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących Nr 2 im. F.D. Kniaźnina w Puławach School. The winning team will represent Poland during European stage - final of International Contest ,,Young People in European Forests” YPEF 2010/2011 on September in Poland.

The Polish National Commission decided to reward IV best places.

Thanks to cooperation and commitment of State Forest National Forest Holding winners and schools were prized. Participants and their teachers received iPods and gifts from State Forest National Forest Holding. Winning schools got material prizes: I  material prize worth 10 000 zł; II  material prize worth 5 000 zł; III material prize worth 3 000 zł;IV ex aequo material prize worth 1 000 zł; IV ex aequo  material prize worth 1 000 zł.
And here some statistics concerning the Polish national stage:

• Portugal

Penafiel’s High School Team will represent Portugal in the YPEF Contest

On June 28th, was known the winning team of the National Stage of YPEF – Young People in European Forests Contest. The victory was given to the team of Ana Marques, Inês Oliveira and Joana Barbosa, from the 10th grade, of the Penafiel’s High School, in Oporto district.
The winning team will represent Portugal in the European Stage Contest, which will be held on September 28th and 29th, in Poland, where 13 European teams will compete.
The first edition of the YPEF Contest in Portugal, counted with the participation of 36 teams and about 102 students, who performed at 14h30, on May 27th, the written test of the National Stage Contest. The results were very positive, given the absence of a competition of this type in Portugal and the need to learn all the information about forests in the European countries in a foreign language.

Photo 1 – Winning team and teachers of the Portuguese National Stage Contest

Due to a tie between two groups from Penafiel’s High School, there was the need to do a run-off test on June 21st. Despite the non-attendance of one of the groups, the winning team made the exam, qualifying for the European Stage of the Contest.

• Romania

The National Contest of YPEF 2010/2011 took place in Romania. The International Contest "Young People in European Forests" is organized by the National Forest Administration – ROMSILVA.  In first stage- High School Stage, organized in the traditional forestry high schools and supervised by an internal commission, 150 pupils in 50 teams from 5 forestry schools took part. The High School Stage was held on 6th of May. The language of the Contest was English.

The second stage- National Stage was organized at NFA ROMSILVA Headquarter in Bucharest on 27th of May.  After this stage the winning team is known: the team is Turcu Bogdan, Badale Ioana and Aromanesei Razvan. They are from „Bucovina” forestry high school from Câmpulung Moldovenesc town. The age of the participants is 17 years old and they are in the third year in high school. The winning team obtained 35 points in the final stage in Romania. The reward ceremony was held in the conference room of the National Forest Administration – Romsilva Headquarter.

Members of The National Contest Commission in Romania:
Dr. Ion MACHEDON – Chairman
Dragos MIHAI – Member
Robert PACHE – Member

The participants and organizers will meet together with colleauges from other European countries participating in YPEF during final in Poland in September.

National Forest Administration - ROMSILVA, 27 MAI 2011

Chairman,
Dr. Ing. Ion MACHEDON

• Slovenia

Competition Young People in European Forests in Slovenia took place on the 21st of April 2011. Participants of the competition will be pupils of elementary and high schools from 12 to 18 years old. Members of national commission in Slovenia are Andrej Verlič and Naja Benedičič.

In contest which took place on 21st of April  36 pupils -11 teams from 5 schools took part Language of the contest was English. Organizer of the contest was Gozdarski Institut Slovenije- Slovenian Forestry Institute. Contest was organized in participating schools. The winners are: Anja Kovič Kocjančič and  Mojca Plot, age 16, from Gimnazja Ledina. The got the highest score- 34 points.
The reward ceremony will be in the beginning of September 2011. All the participants will receive practical symbolical presents sponsored by Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food in the context of The International Year of Forests.