“Nature in Danger”: International Webinar to Discuss Environmental Consequences of the War in Ukraine

As part of Earth Month, an international online webinar titled “Nature in Danger” will take place on April 26, focusing on the environmental consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine and their global impact. The event is organized by the organization Ukrainian Jersey City in partnership with Pennsylvania State University.

This was reported in a press release by Ukrainian Jersey City (New Jersey) and Penn State University.

The event will be held online from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and will bring together scientists, researchers, and cultural figures from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The organizers — Oksana Kondon, Roksolana Karmazyn, and Kelvin L. Norman — combined academic and civic initiatives to draw attention to the environmental consequences of the war.

The “Nature in Danger” project examines the impact of the war on Ukraine’s environment. Military actions have caused large-scale soil and water contamination, destruction of natural habitats, disruption of agricultural processes, and have turned Ukraine into one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

Experts emphasize that these consequences extend far beyond Ukraine. Land contamination may affect global food security, while damage to protected natural areas accelerates biodiversity loss. Together, these factors undermine climate resilience, threaten public health, and complicate the country’s long-term recovery.

The “Nature in Danger” project was launched in Washington during the Ukraine Action Summit 2024, where environmental destruction and ecocide in Ukraine were discussed. In 2025, the initiative continued with a panel discussion and a photo exhibition featuring works by the late Ukrainian nature photographer Denis Kryvyi, whose photographs were published in National Geographic. The exhibition highlighted the contrast between the beauty of Ukrainian landscapes and the destruction they are experiencing due to the war.

The upcoming webinar will continue this conversation. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Catherine Wanner from Penn State University.

Participants in the discussion will include:

• Olia Hercules – culinary writer and chef based in London
• Roman Koval – head of the research department at Truth Hounds in Kyiv
• Serhii Shevchenko – associate professor from Lviv and founder of the NGO Generation of Warm Ukraine
• Brian Roth – executive director of Forest Release in Kyiv

The program will include opening remarks, a moderated discussion among participants, a Q&A session with the audience, as well as a poetry reading and a video presentation.

Organizers emphasize that the goal of the initiative is to demonstrate that environmental responsibility and nature restoration are not only a Ukrainian issue but a global challenge.