Hungarian versionThe organization "ELTE Nature Conservation Club" (ETK) has been established in 1983 as an environmental group at the Eõtvõs Lóránd University of Sciences (ELTE) in Budapest. In the first years of its existence it has acted upon the slogan "Information and Action" and tried to influence environmental decision-making and public awareness by the means available under the circumstances of that time.
We have published 20 issues of the magazine "TermészetVÉDELEM" (NatureCONSERVATION) and started GAIA Environmental News Digest which still exists today and in time became one of the most important means of communication within the Hungarian environmental movement (in spite of its relatively small circulation). The Club also has a monthly column in the magazine &Eacuete;let és Tudomány (Life and Science). We organized - and still organize - lectures and workshops on various environmental issues ranging from air pollution to nuclear energy.
The biggest success in the first period of our work was the rescue of Sz rsomly˘, a protected hill in Southern Hungary, which was threatened by an open-cast lime-stone mine. After years of hard negotiation with the mining company and the nature conservation authorities a final agreement was achieved in 1988 to stop the expansion of the mine. Members of the Club have surveyed the flora and fauna of the "Szigetköz" area (threatened by the Gabcikovo Danube Dam) in 1986-87 and worked in the protected area of the Buda hills as well. Together with the Green Club of the Technical University and other groups we've organized the first Acid Rain Week in Hungary in 1987.
We've become involved in the international environmental movement since the very beginning. The Club initiated the East-European environmental network "Greenway" and Greenway Newsletter in 1985, which played an important role in the exchange of information among the organizations of the socialist bloc, working under difficult circumstances in the eighties. (Greenway later became independent, nowadays it works from Bratislava.) It happened in the same period that the Club became full member of Youth and Environment Europe (YEE). In summer 1986 we organized the first Hungarian activities of European Youth Forest Action formed at that time. We still keep regular contacts with these and other international networks, such as A SEED.
During its 12 years of existence the Club went through many changes. After the political changes in 1989-90 many of our old members played active roles in forming new organizations or participated in the shaping of environmental policies in other ways. We became a legally registered organization in 1991. At the moment we have app. 140 members nationwide of whom about 20-30 are active. Many of our members are students, but also others participate in our work. Presently our most important aims are:
Our main work has always been carried out by our working groups (see below). We are open to anyone who has good ideas and is able to realize them. Though the number of our registered members is relatively small our activities reach a much wider public. We also participate in the activities of national alliances such as the Air Pollution Working Group, the Waste Management Working Group and Energy Club.
The day-to-day decisionmaking is carried out by the board which consist of the working group leaders, the chair(wo)man and the secretary. Decisions are always made according to the principles of direct democracy. Our basis is a small office offered by the university, where our weekly meetings are held too. Since the membership fees are insignificant, most of our finances come from grants of various state sources and funds.
GAIA has existed since 1985. It is published in 80 copies every third week and contains reviews on various environmental issues (such as water, air, energy, lifestyle, economics, philosophy etc.) as well news from Hungary and abroad (from the Ecologist, Nature, Science, SEEDlinks, Third World Resurgence etc.), discussions, comments, letters etc. In this way it is an up-to-date, flexible communication mean for many groups and interested people.
GAIA is distributed among our members, other environmental groups, schools, institutions, journalists, but is also available in electronic form in a number of computer networks. Many newspapers and magazines publish excerpts of it too. Therefore its real readership is app. 4-5 times larger than the number of copies. 10-14 of our members participate in the making of GAIA.
It has been formed in 1993 in order to involve more students in environmental work and to increase their knowledge in this field. The group tries to achieve this aim by a range of activities:
* organizes regular (by-weekly) workshops at the university which present the work of the Club as well as other issues. Occasionally members of international organizations are invited too. Regular articles in the university newsletter are published, and a bulletin board keeps students also informed about current events in the environmental movement.
* since we consider waste as an easy-to-understand, important daily problem, we have initiated the "Recycled Paper Action" at the university. In the framework of this action we try to promote the use of recycled paper and the collection of waste paper among students and to convince the leadership of the university about its advantages as well. We also work together with primary and high schools in Budapest and advice them on starting similar programs.
* in cooperation with other organizations we do various street actions as well (at Earth Day and other times). We consider these as good occasions for people who are interested in environmental issues to become deeper involved and to start activities on their own. This year we work on the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
* we closely cooperate with international networks too, spreading their information in Hungary and enabling people to participate in their meetings and activities. We have already translated and published a number of booklets and other publications such as "It's not all stars that are twinkling -an EClopedia (A SEED, 1993), "Climate Change" (Greenpeace 1995) and "Enough is enough! - Guide to Action for Solidarity, Equality, Environment and Development" (A SEED, 1994).
Otter is one of the most endangered mammal species in Hungary, just as elsewhere in Europe. That's why this working group has been formed in 1994 with the following aims:
* to make people know about otter and the factors threatening its survival via publications, the press, exhibitions and lectures, especially in schools, clubs and camps. We prepared a 40-45 mins. long workshop with slides and video which has already been presented in almost 50 different places all through the country. Also small booklets with the title "About the European Otter" and "The Protection of Otters in Fishing Lakes and Wetlands" were published in which the threats and the problems of the protection of otters were summarized. Several conferences with the participation of nature conservation professionals, hunters, fishermen and other experts were called together too in order to discuss the above issues.
* to carry out a nationwide survey of the otter population. The last survey was made in 1980, which estimated the size of the otter population at 1500. But since then many changes took place in the Hungarian landscape, which made a new one necessary. The survey lasted from November 1995 to March 1996. After the evaluation of the results we will be able to give recommendations for concrete protection measures and methods.
* on the long run we would like to commit ourselves to further protection efforts such as the establishment of an otter rescue station.
The group was started in 1986 with a threefold aim:active nature conservation especially on wetland areas; research; environmental education.
The core of our activities is the saving of toads on roads in the spring. This is carried out every year with the participation of more than 100 people, students and pupils from Hungary as well as abroad.
In order to bring these animals closer to people we organize the "Amphibian and Reptile Days" every year. At this exhibition linked with workshops, slide and video presentations, several thousand visitors can learn to like frogs and snakes and to become involved in their protection.
We also do research in small wetland areas especially inside Budapest but also elsewhere in the country. This work has already lead to protected status in several cases. Besides the practical importance, it has an educative side as well, since many schools and small groups participate in the work. We publish our results and other information related to our work in small booklets that are available to teachers and groups to help their work.