While the days are getting longer (and warmer!), the organization of the next SRC is in full force. Adhering to COVID safety precautions, we are preparing to meet in person around the Valbona River from July 4th-11th! Applications are now open and we ask you to help us spread the word. Read all about this upcoming camp in this newsletter:
Why Valbona?
Program
Who can participate?
COVID measures
SRC Valbona: July 4-11 2021
Application Deadline: May 23 2021
Help us spread the word!
First things first. Due to our late decision to organize the camp (thanks covid...), the time to apply is relatively short which is why we can use your help to make sure we reach interested students. Please share this newsletter with anyone you think should know about this. If you want to take it a step further, please head over to this google drive to find social media material (e.g. instastories), or simply head over to our social media accounts (IG, FB, Twitter) and share our latest posts. Thank you in advance!
Why Valbona River?
The Valbona River, with its crystal clear water and surrounding Albanian Alps, is one of the last pristine rivers in Europe. To the local Tropojan community, the Valbona River is an obvious source of life. It’s wildness, however, is threatened by the construction plans of 14 small hydropower plants. Local communities and organizations, such as TOKA, have joined forces against hydropower development - but are seeking new creative ideas - to protect this river. During the SRC, we invite participants from ALL fields of knowledge to join us and the local communities to come up with diverse strategies to protect and celebrate this river combining science, art, and environmentalism. (read more)
Program
The program is shaping up and we are getting very excited about all that will happen. Through talks, workshops and field trips, we inspire you to turn your knowledge into action, in collaboration with other participants and the local community. The knowledge you gain and the tools you learn you will take home to your local river, to be more effective in the role you choose to play. Of course, we will also head out on the river and tell stories around the bonfire! (read more)
Who can participate?
The Students for Rivers Camp is meant for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students from ALL disciplines. If you are not currently enrolled in a university, that does not mean that you cannot participate, just send us an email to explain your situation. Also, if you live in Albania and want to participate as a non-student, we are happy to hear from you! We hope to welcome 5 participants from Tropoja, 5 from the rest of Albania, 5 from the rest of the Balkans and 5 from the rest of Europe.
Covid measures
Adhering to COVID safety precautions and regulations, our team is confident that we can come together in a safe manner. Priority is given to gathering with students from Albania and if travel restrictions allow, we are happy to welcome students and experts from around Europe. To remain flexible, our team is preparing a physical camp with virtual elements. Camp lectures will be streamed online and workshop materials will also be digitally accessible. This will allow activities to take place simultaneously around the world and open the opportunity to turn your knowledge into action - regardless of your location. Check out the website to read which measures we will take to create a safe environment for participants and locals.
Remembering Prof. Milenko Popović
We wanted to take a moment and remember Prof. Milenko Popović, who participated as an expert at last year's online SRC. He will be dearly missed. You can find Milenko's contributions to the scientific community here.
Support the camp
On a final note, we are committed to pulling this camp off, but are doing so on a very minimal budget. Any financial support helps us to increase the positive impact of the camp, by e.g. having more plates of food ready for locals to join our activities or covering the travel costs of Albanian students that might otherwise not attend. Head over to our support page to donate or become a member, or get in touch if you’re interested in becoming a long-term partner.
Just two more months! We can't wait.
Best rivers,
Jens, Jess, Kara, David, Elli, Semra and Vera
If you're a river lover and interested in sharing your work, please inquire about writing a blog post or hosting a Science Chat! Feel free to email info@rivercollective.org.
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