OREANDA-NEWS. June 11, 2013. Norilsk "Sowing Campaign" ecological project organized by the Northern City media company and supported by the Polar Division of Norilsk Nickel and Norilsk city administration is about to start for the second and final round.

The "Sowing Campaign" is a large scale city beautification campaign open to all volunteers. A willing landscaper has to claim a plot of land and receive a bag of mixed seeds and herbs with instructions. Approximately 1.2 tons of seeds will be sown over an area of 40,000 m2 this year.

The second and final round of the campaign followed numerous requests of Norilsk residents with over 2,000 volunteers taking part in it and planting seeds over an area of around 28,000 m2 last year, resulting in almost 180 new perennial lawns.

The academic support of the campaign came from the Far North Agriculture Research Institute and Young Technician Station’s naturalists. Practical experience of researchers shows that lawns are the best greenery type in the Polar region. They are easy to plant and take care of, while resisting pollutants and having low risk of being damaged by snowdrifts and snow cleaning equipment.

The "Sowing Campaign" popular environmental campaign has been named the impressive project in Siberia and won the Best Social Communications and Charity Project nomination in the Silver Archer regional awards.

The "Sowing Campaign" 2013 is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Norilsk and to Russia’s Year of Environmental Protection and takes place on June 17 – June 26.