As part of the Jean Monnet Module “European Union Standards for Environmental Rehabilitation of Mining Lands,” professional excursions were organized for environmental students of Dnipro University of Technology.

In the first year of the project, an excursion to the botanical garden of the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University was provided.                                                 

During the excursion, Anatolii Kabar, Director of the Botanical Garden, familiarized students majoring in 101 “Ecology” and 183 “Environmental Protection Technologies” with the history and features of the protected area.                                                                             

Eight hectares of the Botanical Garden are planted with trees of 165 species. 60 species of trees have never grown in Dnipro before, such as Korean peach, cedar, Manchurian walnut, Manchurian aralia, Japanese cherry, Chinese wisteria, Japanese oak, cork trees, and many others.                                                  

The Botanical Garden is a research unit of Dnipro National University. Therefore, for many decades, scientists have been studying biodiversity, physiology and peculiarities of biochemical processes of plants.                                                                                                          

The most interesting for the students was the area with plants used for biological reclamation and restoration of man-made and contaminated lands.                    

Such plants have a unique ability to accumulate heavy metals from environmental objects and restore damaged landscapes. This phenomenon is called hyperaccumulation, which expands the possibilities of applied use of plant communities for reclamation at rock dumps, sludge ponds, landfills, etc.                                

In addition, plants can destroy and utilize organic pollutants, including petroleum products, which has led to the application of biodestructor plants for targeted phytoremediation of contaminated land.                                                                                            

In general, the use of hyperaccumulators and biodestructors is a key area of remediation of contaminated land and minimization of the negative impact of man-made landscapes.

The students showed great interest in learning about the amazing world of plants. We hope that the theoretical knowledge gained during the excursion will be implemented in the practical field of professional activities of young scientists.

During the second year of the project, a professional excursion was organized for students of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection Technologies of Dnipro University of Technology to an open-pit granite mining quarry.

The purpose of the excursion was to familiarize them with modern technologies of open-pit mining of granite deposits and environmental aspects of mining.    

Bachelors, masters and postgraduate students majoring in 091 Biology, 101 Ecology and 183 Environmental Protection Technologies had a unique opportunity to learn about the specifics of granite mining technologies. These technologies make it possible to extract granite efficiently and economically, ensuring its use in construction and other industrial sectors.                                                                                                                             

The most interesting for the students was the area with plants used for biological reclamation and restoration of man-made and contaminated lands. Such plants have a unique ability to accumulate heavy metals from environmental objects and restore damaged landscapes.                                                                

Gaining practical skills during professional excursions is an integral part of the educational process and the introduction of dual education practices, which is a strategic direction of educational and scientific activities of Dnipro University of Technology. Therefore, the involvement of environmental students in such excursions is a key to the restoration and environmental rehabilitation of mining and war-damaged lands.