First agro-eco hub opens in Kostanay region
A new agro-eco hub dedicated to environmental education, waste sorting, and biodiversity conservation has opened in the village of Amangeldy in Kostanay Region, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Nauryzbek Birmagambetov, head of the Neco environmental club public foundation, the project is closely aligned with the goals of the Taza Qazaqstan initiative.
“Our project supports several key areas of the program, including the development of waste-sorting infrastructure, urban greening and cooperation with the non-governmental sector. We want this site to demonstrate how environmental initiatives can be implemented in practice,” he said.
The first greenhouse will focus on enhancing plant biodiversity, with plots planted with phacelia, sainfoin, St. John’s wort, motherwort, and other species that attract and support pollinators. Organizers plan to grow around 100 such plants.
“We want to show children, young people, beekeepers and agricultural producers what kinds of plants exist, why they are important and what products can be obtained from them. Each plant will be accompanied by an information board describing its characteristics and practical uses,” Birmagambetov said.
The project brings together regional departments overseeing public development, natural resources, ecology, agriculture, entrepreneurship and internal policy. It also involves volunteers, members of the Zhasyl El youth labor movement and students from related disciplines, with plans to expand participation to schoolchildren and young people in the future.
In the long term, three greenhouses donated by Tazalyk-2012 will be transformed into facilities for organic vegetable cultivation, plant-waste composting, and the collection and recycling of recyclable materials.
“As far as I know, there are no comparable agro-eco hubs in Kazakhstan or elsewhere in Eurasia. We came up with the idea several years ago, and now we finally have the chance to turn it into reality,” the organizer said.
The agro-eco hub is expected to become a center for environmental education and the practical implementation of the principles of the Taza Qazaqstan program.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakh scientist Serik Bakiyev, together with a team of scientists, has found a new bacterium named Aeromonas oralensis.