A science show full of spectacular experiments, a microscopic glimpse into the ancient world beneath our feet, displays of drill cores from various depths below Litoměřice, an interactive programme for children, schools and adults, as well as lectures explaining how groundwater flows, where subterranean heat comes from, and how these natural resources may be used in the future — this is what Environmental Day at Mírové Square will offer.
“Together with the Faculty of Science of Charles University, which is the lead institution of the strategic SYNERGYS project being implemented in Litoměřice, we want to use this occasion of Earth Day to show how closely environmental protection, air quality, and the search for modern and more sustainable heating solutions independent of fossil fuels are interconnected,” said the Mayor of Litoměřice, Radek Löwy, explaining the purpose of the event.
Visitors can look forward to a day combining environmental topics with engaging experiences. A major highlight of the programme will be the interactive science show The Air We Breathe, or What Surrounds Us, featuring striking yet safe experiments. In an entertaining way, it will demonstrate that air is not “nothing”, but rather an essential part of our environment.
“As part of the accompanying programme, visitors will also be able to examine microfossils and macrofossils under a microscope, view samples of drill cores originating from various depths of the Earth, and discover what exactly lies beneath our feet,” highlights some of the attractions Tomáš Fischer, principal investigator of the SYNERGYS project. Interactive demonstrations of natural radioactivity, alternative energy sources, and joint sorting of a mixed-waste container will also be prepared, along with much more. The day will culminate in a lecture by the renowned science populariser Václav Cílek and a concert by the Litoměřice band Nestel Postel.
The expert programme, prepared with the participation of the Faculty of Science of Charles University, also gives the event a strong public outreach dimension. It presents geoscience topics to the public in an accessible way and shows that issues related to geology, hydrogeology, geothermal energy, or natural resources are not matters of remote science, but part of everyday life and the future development of cities.
“It is precisely this combination of playfulness, knowledge and concrete demonstrations that makes the whole event attractive for children, parents, schools, and everyone who wants to experience Earth Day in a somewhat different way than through a traditional lecture alone,” says Pavel Gryndler, Head of the Environmental Department of the Municipal Office, highlighting the character of the event.
Presentations by the event’s partners will also be available at stands located around Mírové Square. These partners include the city’s Technical Services, the companies Hennlich, Energie Holding, ASEKOL, EKO-KOM, FCC BEC, SEVER, MEVA, KIS, Ekologické zdroje vytápění Litoměřice, SÚRAO, and Elektrowin. There will also be an exhibition installed to mark the 50th anniversary of the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area.
The event is co-financed by the European Union and the Ministry of the Environment within the project SYNERGYS – Systems for Energy Synergy, supported under the Just Transition Operational Programme 2021–2027, registration number CZ.10.02.01/00/22_002/0000172, within the framework of Call 10_22_002 of the Ministry of the Environment.
