Day 7

The main event of the day was the planting of a bamboo alley in the Olympic Park of the Sirius Federal Territory. This action —  is already an established good tradition of the olympiads in Sirius. For young researchers, this is not only a contribution to the urban environment, but also a visible symbol of friendship and shared heritage.

Aditi Tiwari from India in her home country participated in events dedicated to climate change issues and is seriously interested in gardening. In her small kitchen garden grow coriander, tomatoes, and chili peppers.

"Now infrastructure is being actively built, pollution levels are rising — and that is why it is so important to take care of plants. I have very good impressions from the olympiad. The tasks helped me look at ecology in a new way, learn to think more critically, logically, and deeply. And I also found new friends — especially from Turkey and Bangladesh. We learn about each other: I tell them about my culture, they tell me about theirs. We have really become friends," Aditi Tiwari says.

Betra Sibanda from Zimbabwe in her homeland participated in a tree— planting campaign on school grounds. Now she has become part of a large international project and was able to work together with like-minded people from different countries. "I really like the beauty of nature, the beauty of trees and everything around. That is exactly why I love ecology: it is the science of preserving this beauty," Betra says.

The olympiad gave the girl new experience. "It was quite difficult, but in the end I succeeded! And it was also very unusual for me to try my hands as a climate diplomat — we had a conference where we delivered presentations. I haven't had such experience in my life, and it especially struck me. And of course, we learned something new —teamwork. We understood that many things cannot be achieved alone. That is why team spirit is always needed: working together, being able to listen to others — only in this way can results be achieved," Betra Sibanda says. She admits that she would like to return to Sirius one day to see how the alley has grown — that very space which they created with their own hands.

International olympiads in the Sirius Federal Territory are not just a test of knowledge. This is a platform for exchanging experience and getting acquainted with the educational and cultural traditions of different countries. And planting plants is one of those traditions that make this space truly shared.

After the planting of a bamboo alley, the participants of the international olympiad went on an excursion to Sochi Park — a theme park of entertainment. Its territory is divided into thematic spaces inspired by Russian fairy tales and epic legends. Such a format allows foreign olympiad participants to get acquainted with elements of Russian culture in an easy and vivid form, as well as to rest after intense rounds and educational events.

During the day, the schoolchildren attended the lecture "Bears and People: Good Neighborliness and Well-Being", delivered by Anatoly Nikolayevich Kudaktin, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Honored Ecologist of Russia. For more than 50 years, the scientist has worked in the Caucasus State Natural Biosphere Reserve and specializes in the study of large predators — bears and wolves.

In his presentation, he presented practical approaches to building safe coexistence: from organizing feeding areas to measures for protecting people and animals. The topic turned out to be especially important for the olympiad participants. Earlier, during the theoretical round, they had been developing their own comprehensive solutions to a similar task, and then they were able to compare their ideas with the expert opinion of an experienced specialist.

The evening ended with a festival of national games — an event that carried forward the key idea of the olympiad: strengthening friendship and intercultural ties.