On March, 10th 2012 (Saturday) the second Eco Academy of the International Elias Canetti Society opened its doors for the new “academics” from over 14 schools in Ruse. Almost 40 high school students were admitted in the academy and sorted into three main research areas – Eco Technology and Innovations, Eco Politics and Media and Eco and Social Entrepreneurship. Lead by the lecturers of the Eco Academy the young people headed on an expedition in Rusenski Lom Natural Park near the village of Nisovo, where they learned more about the park and the new symbol of Nisovo – the elm tree, which has taken the third place in the international contest for a favorite tree in Europe.

After the expedition the new academics had their first seminars in The Black Stork Hotel. Through the methods of informal training and educational games they learned more about each other and the nature and the objectives of the Eco Academy, namely – to look in new ways at the ecological topics, contrary to the widely spread stereotypes, and as young people  to find their own place in the policies, practices and innovations in environment protection. The young people are definitely interested in these issues and would gladly accept a more critical point of view in regards to the information concerning the environment which floods our everyday life, so that these concepts preserve their real meaning for them.

On March, 17th 2012 (Saturday) seminars in the respective research areas were held simultaneously at the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water, Rusenski Lom Natural Park and the Austrian Library Elias Canetti. The topics covered included energy efficiency technologies, ecotourism and nature-friendly urban environment. The students learned more on the different types of eco houses and the possible ways in which we can reduce energy consumption at home in order to minimize our negative impact on the environment and they also developed their own models of energy-saving homes.