Nairobi,
13 May 2008- A campaigning project to rescue
and revive an endangered and environmentally-sensitive
urban park in the Russian city of Nizhny
Novgorod has won the 2008 Volvo Adventure
and the US$10,000 first prize, the five
students of the 'Green Sail' team, beating
off stiff competition at the World Final
in Gothenburg today.
Having won their own
Russian national title, the power of five
young students, Arthur Erofyev, Darya Aleksandrova,
Mary Ermylova, Nastya Horytonova, Julia
Udina was demonstrated on stage at the Gothenburg
Convention Centre on Monday as they brought
the plight of the park to the world in an
inspired and impassioned presentation to
the Volvo Adventure World Final jury and
an audience of over 500 young environmentalists.
Dubky Park, which has
a unique ecosystem with high biodiversity
including thousands of mature carbon absorbing
trees?amongst them almost 1,000 oak trees
over 200-years-old-and is 'home' to a wide
variety of bird, animal and insect life-had
been threatened by plans to replace the
only green space in the area with a retail
park, but the young environmentalists from
the 'Green Sail' project thought differently.
"We have campaigned
for two years now to save Dubky Park, arguing
our case with a well-planned project of
research, analysis and action and winning
the 2008 Volvo Adventure is recognition
that our efforts have been worth all the
effort," said 12-year-old Artur Erofeev,
his fifteen year-old team-mate Anastasia
Kharitonova adding, "Thank you to the
people of our city of Nizhny Novgorod and
also to the Volvo Adventure for sharing,
recognizing and rewarding our passion for
our park, locally, nationally and internationally."
The 2008 Volvo Adventure
brings with it a first prize of US$10,000
with the second and third placed teams winning
US$6,000 and US$4,000 respectively.
'Green Sail' team leader
Andrey Patyaev celebrated victory by saying,
"This is just the end of the beginning
for the project whereas two-years-ago it
was the beginning of the end for Dubky Park.
"Our team has worked
tirelessly in order to save the park, its
'residents' and the local ecosystem and
we are honoured to have our project recognised
on the international stage(he/she) said,
adding, "We will reinvest our prize
money back into the project and help take
it onto the next level."
Commented Siv Persson
of WWF, the 2008 Volvo Adventure World Final
jury chairperson, "This is an outstanding
and brave project on the conservation of
a natural park. When the park was threatened
with destruction from industry, the students
cleaned up the park and gave it new life
to re-engage the community to enjoy this
place and protect it for the future."
She added, "Protecting
old trees, the local heritage of the park
and the quality of water in the local river
are all benefits of this project and 'Green
Sail,' is a very deserving winner of the
1st Prize of the 2008 Volvo Adventure."
Olle Axelson, Vice President,
Public Affairs at Volvo Car Corporation,
presenting the prizes at a glittering gala
awards ceremony in Volvo's 'home' city of
Gothenburg commented, "Any of these
projects could have won the 2008 Volvo Adventure.
The jury has executed a very difficult job
with great judgement, integrity and distinction
and I would thank our partners UNEP and
WWF for their support as well as congratulating
these highly-motivated young environmentalists
all over the world for taking part.
"The winners, 'Green
Sail,' have shown remarkable courage and
conviction in promoting their cause and
are worthy winners, but the real winner
in this seventh annual Volvo Adventure is
the environment itself."
Cecilia Kibare of UNEP, the environmental
endorsing body for the Volvo Adventure said,
"My congratulations go not only to
the winners, 'Green Sail,' but also to all
the teams in the Volvo Adventure World Final
and indeed all those who have taken part
this year all around the globe.
"It is both exciting
and encouraging to note that a good percentage
of the projects in general and those brought
here to Gothenburg are associated with mitigating
the effects of climate change, an issue
of the highest concern and priority to the
United Nations and UNEP and we are pleased
and heartened that the youth of the world
are so deeply engaged with this key issue
and are committed to making a difference
to climate change."
Runners-up and recipients
of the US$6,000 second prize was
the 'Green Action,'
team from Macedonia for its project to save
the nation's endangered population of water
buffalo, whilst the third podium place was
taken by Volvo Adventure debutants, the
Junior Ecoguards of Comoros, the students
from the tiny Indian Ocean island saving
the Hawksbill Turtle from extinction.
It has been an highly-adventurous
2008 Volvo Adventure, with the team from
the American Community School at Beirut,
the representatives from Lebanon unable
to attend due to the worsening security
situation in their country whilst the Junior
Ecoguards of Comoros faced flight and visa
delays only to make it to Gothenburg with
hours to spare.
Meanwhile, speaking
from Beruit, Gabriella Romanos the Lebanese
project commented, "We are all terribly
disappointed not to have been able to make
it over the Sweden for what was the culmination
of a year's work for us but we would wish
all those teams there every success with
their project. Her colleague Natalia Alvarez
said, "We would like to reassure everyone
that, despite our current circumstances,
our environmental work goes on and indeed
becomes even more important at this time."
Notes to Editors:
-The Volvo brand and the Volvo Adventure
are shared between Volvo Cars and Volvo
Group.
-The Volvo brand has three core values,
Quality, Safety and Environmental Care.
-The Volvo Adventure, now in its seventh
year is a global Internet-based environmental
competition for young people aged between
13 and 16-years-old.
-Volvo also sponsors the Volvo Environment
Prize, which is now in its 19th year is
awarded annually by an independent foundation
to the person/persons judged to have made
the most significant contribution in the
fields of environmental and sustainability
studies and related initiatives. It carries
with it an award of SEK1.5million (approx
US$250,000/ ?160.000).
-Editors are invited to send reporters and
photographers to any part of the Volvo Adventure
and content is especially relevant to environment,
youth and education correspondents.
-Full background material, interviewees
and royalty-free imagery is available for
preview features.
Maria Bohlin
Volvo Car Corporation Newsroom
