ECO-DRAWING CONTEST
Forest Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Community center “Dobri Chintulov – 1935” announce
ECO-DRAWING CONTEST
TOPIC: HOW TO DEAL WITH THE DANGEROUS FOREIGN PLANT IMPATIENS GLANDULIFERA?
Hymalayan balsam (Impatiens glanduliferа Royale) is one of the most beautiful and at the same time dangerous invasive alien plant species. It is spread most common along rivers, where it competes with native plants, reduces their populations, changes habitats and creates conditions for soil erosion.
Hymalayan balsam has a very strong survival strategy:
•It grows very quickly and in a few months in the summer reaches a height of 3 m;
•forms dense plantations and prevents other species from settling;
•propagates intensively by seeds and vegetative shoots;
•emits active substances into the air, which suppresses other plants;
•its flowers produce a lot of nectar and entice bees to visit only them and not to pollinate the flowers of other plants;
•brought from abroad, the plant has no natural enemies in our country (insects or pathogens) to attack it.
Along with its advantages, the Hymalayan balsam has some weaknesses, for example, it does not tolerate low temperatures and drought. There is still no universal solution to control this plant, so it is important for each of us to know it and using our knowledge and desire to limit its distribution.
The Forest Research Institute-BAS developing project “Study on the distribution and impact
of the invasive alien species Impatiens glandulifera Royale on the natural habitats in the Iskar gorge between Plana and Lozenska mountain”, funded by the National Research Fund. As part of the project implementation, the Forest Research Institute – BAS and the Community centre “Dobri Chintulov – 1935” announce a drawing contest “How to deal with the dangerous foreign plant Impatiens glandulifera?.
Each of you can independently search information about other strengths and weaknesses of this invasive alien species, to inquire about the measures that have been invented and implemented so far to control its spread and impact among local vegetation. We invite you to draw us your idea for such a measure. For example, you can illustrate how we could use a species’s intolerance of shading to limit it.
Competition terms
The competition works will be divided into three age groups: 7-12 years; 13-16 years and over 16 years.
The originals of the drawings must be in A3 format.
All materials and techniques from the fine arts (including graphic programs) are allowed to present the ideas.
Each author can participate with up to 3 drawings.
Each drawing must be accompanied by a short text (up to 300 words) presenting a synthesized idea of the author, the three names of the author, age, city, address, contact phone number
Drawings should be photographed or scanned and prepared in separate files.
Technical parameters of the images: •size – up to 5 MB; •resolution – max 300 dpi; •acceptable formats – JPG, PNG, TIF, TIFF The works should be sent to slabonoga@abv.bg.
Announcement of the awards: April 15, 2021.
The drawings and ideas will be evaluated by a professional jury, including artists and scientists. The most interesting drawings will be published in electronic form on the pages of FRI-BAS and Dobri Chintulov-1935 Community Center, and the originals will be presented at public exhibitions. The best proposals will be tested in practice in sample areas with Impatiens glandulifera along the Iskar River.
AWARDS: Drawing materials and tools, books dedicated to nature, diplomas for the participants in the competition.
The contest is part of the measures for publicity and prevention under the project “Study of the distribution and impact of the invasive alien species Impatiens glandulifera Royale on natural habitats in the Iskar gorge between Lozenska mountain and Plana”, funded by the National Research Fund, 2019.
