Gleb and Igor Leman, multiple winners of the International Children's and Youth Award "Ecology is Everyone's Business" from the Nizhny Novgorod region, invited Svetlana Radionova, the country's chief ecologist, to the first regional youth inclusive forum of lean initiatives, which they plan to hold in October this year, the press center of the Ecology is Everyone's Business award reports today.

Two brothers Igor and Gleb Leman from the village of Kamenka, Nizhny Novgorod region, spoke at the discussion platform of the XI Nevsky Ecological Congress in St. Petersburg, and then met with Svetlana Radionova, Head of Rosprirodnadzor, at the ecoforum. The students told about the results of their projects and ambitious plans, including the interregional youth forum they had initiated.

"We have initiated the forum, we will hold it at the end of October this year in Nizhny Novgorod, we invite you. Schoolchildren will defend their projects at the forum, and we are currently looking for partners," said Gleb Lehman.

"Well, invite us, we will be happy to come. Continue participating in the Ecology is Everyone's Business Award and invite your friends," Svetlana Radionova replied.

The head of Rosprirodnadzor noted that it is important to invite business representatives to the forum who can help the authors implement their projects.

13-year-old Gleb Lehman presented his project "The first youth inclusive Forum of lean initiatives"Eco–Smart! in the V season of the Ecology is Everyone's Business award. Frugally!". According to the author's idea, 100 schoolchildren and children from orphanages will present ideas in the field of lean technologies and eco-friendly consumption at the interregional forum. The forum will be organized by teenagers for teenagers – it is a space where innovative projects are born, ready for implementation.

The previous projects of the Leman brothers, with which they won the International Prize "Ecology is everyone's business", are already bringing significant benefits. Awarded first place in the second season of the award, the project "Ecoumnitsa Mobile Station" is a unique platform for processing food waste into fertilizers at the "trash can" stage. The children have installed an eco-station in their native school and are recycling canteen waste using accelerated biocomposting. They have already demonstrated their development in a number of schools in the region, and in three they have opened stationary eco–classes and organized a closed ecological cycle there. There are already 6 autocomposters that can process one and a half tons of food waste per month. An organic solution is obtained from the material, on which microgreens are grown. Four such hydroponic farms can grow 1,200 trays of microgreens per month. According to the young developers, the obtained raw materials can also be used for landscaping the school grounds and as the basis for animal feed. The guys are conducting test experiments on the processing of food waste from large enterprises.

Igor and Gleb are not only engaged in science themselves, but also actively involve schoolchildren in research activities and early career guidance in the field of environmental professions. So, in the third season of the award, Igor Lehman's work "Sprout Point" was awarded a special prize in the "Ecoproject" nomination, and in the fourth season, the project "Closed Ecological Cycle in School" won a similar award. Gleb's younger brother pays great attention to the integration of peers with special needs. In the third season of the award, he became the winner with the creative work "School inclusive eco-travel". Gleb suggested creating an inclusive ESG school community for the interaction of children with and without disabilities. Using the example of the Eco-Smart Girl project, the Leman brothers showed their peers that ecology is not boring and it is everyone's business.

According to the head of Rosprirodnadzor, Svetlana Radionova, the participation of 13-year-old Gleb and 16-year-old Igor in the Ecology is Everyone's Business award and their speech at the forum in St. Petersburg is an inspiring example of how to involve young people in the environmental agenda and give the younger generation the opportunity to speak out on a very important topic, demonstrate their competencies.

"They're so convincing because they felt like they were being heard. A person who understands that his contribution is important, that he has the right to vote, is convincing. They saw that the adults were honest, that the prize was real, that it was possible to win, and that the arguments they made were taken into account and taken seriously. And this is probably the most important task of an adult – to say that a child has the right to vote, and he is important. And every person, whether they are small or big, realizing that their contribution is significant, of course, feels confident. Our task is to preserve and increase this confidence in the future generation," Svetlana Radionova said.

The international prize "Ecology is Everyone's Business" was established by Rosprirodnadzor on March 31, 2021 and is held annually. The project aims to encourage children and adults for interesting ideas, initiatives and projects dedicated to environmental conservation. Applications for the award were received from all five continents, from all 89 regions of Russia and over 80 countries. Participation in the award provides an opportunity not only to receive valuable prizes, but also preferences for admission to the best 150 universities in the country.