The Bükk National Park Directorate and the Štátna ochrana prójdy Slovenskej republiky (State Nature Protection Office of the Slovak Republic) organized the "Together we protect nature" competition on May 31, 2023, on the Slovak side of the Somoskő castle, in accordance with traditions dating back several years in the transnational, Slovak-Hungarian Geopark.

For the 18th time now, this joint Slovak-Hungarian natural sciences competition was organised for high school students this year. 9 teams participated in the short tour, where the schoolchildren could listen to excellent professional lectures. After the transfer of knowledge, the teams had to prove their knowledge of botany, geology, dendrology and zoology of the geopark at 5 stations.

The Hungarian team that achieved the best result in the competition, the team from István Fekete Primary School in Mátranovák, will be able to take part in a one-day trip to Slovakia. The Slovakian team with the most points, the students of the Almágy Primary School and Kindergarten, received a combined ticket to the Ipolytarnóc Fossils Nature Reserve with a module session provided by Vidra Verda van, the rolling nature diver.

We would also like to thank our Slovakian colleagues for the great organization and conduct of the competition, and the teams for their active and enthusiastic participation.