City Game "Air Guardians to Help the Blue Sky" as part of the EU Green Week
Meluzyna, utopce, biesy, fojermany, południce, zmory, and other Silesian monsters have stolen something exceptionally valuable - the Blue Heart of Silesia. Skarbek and Saint Barbara called upon the Air Guardians for help.
Thus began a field game that took place on June 3rd and 10th, 2023, in nine municipalities of the Silesian Voivodeship. All participants, becoming Air Guardians, were tasked with solving 10 riddles posed by various Silesian legendary characters known as beboks.
Nearly 1000 people participated in the fun, gaining knowledge about the importance of fighting for clean air. Promoting pro-ecological attitudes among children and adults is one of the goals of the "Silesia. Blue Sky Restored" project.
The game was conceived and developed by Agnieszka Szwaja, an eco-manager from the Municipality of Poręba. The organization of events in the municipal areas was undertaken by the following eco-managers:
- Barbara Graniczka from the Municipality of Rybnik,
- Kinga Duraj from the Municipality of Ustroń,
- Karina Gierich from the Municipality of Miedźno,
- Agnieszka Wypych from the Municipality of Bobrowniki,
- Barbara Rozdzińska from the Municipality of Psary,
- Zuzanna Poprawka from the Municipality of Racibórz,
- Anna Kocima from the Municipality of Łaziska Górne,
- and Romuald Baran from the Municipality of Będzin.
The starting and ending point of the game in Poręba was located near the building of the Municipal Cultural Center, where the finale of the "Eco Poręba" festival was taking place simultaneously. The game route was approximately 2 km long and led around characteristic locations in the city. It included the City Hall, the municipal stadium, the city park, and the nearby church. Many residents of Poręba participated in the event, mainly families with children, but the game also attracted interest from people of all age groups. The participants successfully completed the tasks presented to them, and upon finishing the game, they received gifts such as buttons, mugs, or board games.
In Rybnik, the game took place on the green areas near the brine graduation tower in the Paruszowiec district. In organizing the game, the eco-manager was supported by employees of the Air Protection Department of the City Hall, along with the head, Adrian Strzelczyk, and the director of the Urban Management Center, Sylwia Brzezicka-Tesarczyk. The Mayor of the City, Piotr Masłowski, also invited people to join the fun.
Families from Ustroń, along with beboks, took over the territory of the Spa Park. In the Ustroń Amphitheatre, participants received a letter from Skarbek and Saint Barbara before setting off on a journey to tackle challenging riddles and recover the Blue Heart of Silesia. The organization of the event was supported by colleagues from the Department of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of the City Hall, including Chief Officer Monika Maksymczak.
In Miedźno, on the extensive lawns of the municipal square, games and activities with a significant dose of ecological knowledge took place. Thanks to the eco-manager, dealing with air pollution problems and solving riddles were not overly difficult. The game involved entire families as well as solitary Air Guardians.
In the Municipality of Bobrowniki, the game accompanied the "Busy County Run" event. The amphitheater in Rogoźnik was overrun by runners and participants of the battle to reclaim the Blue Heart of Silesia. The combination of a mass sports event and education about the impact of air quality on health turned out to be a "bull's-eye."
During the Municipal Children's Day in Psary, among numerous attractions for the youngest participants, a field game organized in the Żurawiniec Park garnered significant interest. Several dozen families took part in it. Each participant received a sweet reward and a commemorative pen from the eco-manager, along with a grateful title of "Guardian of the Blue Sky" button.
In Racibórz, the letters from Skarbek and Saint Barbara awaited in a unique place - the Ryszard Kincl Municipal and County Public Library, where a booth was prepared by the eco-manager, Zuzanna Poprawka. The bebok riddles were scattered in the Jordanowski Park. All participating children received rewards - buttons, pens, balloons, backpacks with coloring pencils, and coloring books titled "Smog, Our Enemy."
A large group of Air Guardians gathered at the starting point of the field game in Łaziska Górne, unafraid of the rainy weather or the beboks awaiting them on the route. Everyone excelled in solving the riddles, which were not the easiest, and deciphered the sleep-inducing spell, which served as the main motto of the game.
The urban field game "Air Guardians to Help the Blue Sky" attracted a large group of participants who not only had a great time but also gained a significant amount of ecological knowledge. The event was guided by the idea of the European Union's Green Week in all municipalities.
The game organized by eco-managers will also take place in other municipalities of the Silesian Voivodeship at different times.
Projekt zintegrowany LIFE "Śląskie. Przywracamy błękit". Kompleksowa realizacja programu ochrony powietrza dla województwa śląskiego realizowany jest przy dofinansowaniu z Programu LIFE Unii Europejskiej oraz Narodowego Funduszu Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej.
LIFE20 IPE/PL/000007 - LIFE-IP AQP-SILESIAN-SKY