Ethnoscope 2023

December 02, specialists of FGBU “Prioksko-Terrasny State Reserve” took part in the festival of indigenous peoples of Russia “Ethnoscope 2023”, held as part of the International Exhibition “Let’s go”. Visitors of the event got acquainted with cultural traditions of different regions of our country and took part in quizzes, thematic master classes and national sports games. Representatives of federal specially protected natural territories of Russia: the national park “Lena Pillars”, the national park “Elk Island” and the only reserve of the Moscow region Prioksko-Terrasny. Specialists of the tourism department of the reserve consulted visitors about the show objects operating in the territory and other opportunities of ecological tourism. Master classes on making art-panel “Bison” and decorating plaster figurines were held for everyone. The program of the festival was very rich and included film screenings, performances of creative groups, folk storyteller, who performed Slavic bylinas and songs. And the most active visitors could personally find out whether it was difficult to jump over the sledge, to hit a target with a bow, and what a maut is and how to throw it on a chorey.

All-Russian Congress of Protected Areas Directors

On December 7 and 8, the All-Russian Congress of Directors of Nature Reserves and National Parks was held. The large-scale event was divided into two parts: the official opening was held in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, and the second, practical part – in the National Park “Pleshcheevo Lake”. From FGBU “Prioksko-Terrasny State Reserve” Director Svetlana Rodionova took part in the work of the Congress. At the official ceremony she was honored by the Russian Geographical Society “for her contribution to the activities of the Russian Geographical Society and fruitful work to preserve the ecological heritage of Russia.  More than a hundred heads of specially protected natural territories from all over the country gathered at the congress. Each of them tried his or her hand at a field workshop in a variety of areas – from the interaction of protected areas with local communities and waste management to territory protection, the practice of using UAVs and the problems of environmental education. The All-Russian Congress of Protected Areas Directors is an annual event that allows to exchange experience between managers of protected areas across Russia. The event was organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.

Volunteer Day Celebration

On Saturday, December 09, Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve welcomed special guests – favorite volunteer helpers. Irina Sabitova, the leader of individual volunteers, tells about the event in a special report:  “We had a great celebration of Volunteer Day in Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve! These wonderful meetings at the bison for me in a team of amazing friends have lasted for seven volunteer years. The festivities at PTZ, as always, were interesting, heartwarming and fun. They prepared a lot of gifts for us! First, at the master class we painted shoppers according to our own creative idea. We went on a date with bison. They’re beautiful! We tried to play tic-tac-toe in the snow with the help of a charming moose. And watched a wonderful movie about the long and amazing history of the reserve. And then under the sparkling New Year’s tree we were given certificates of appreciation, presented with beautiful calendars and said warm words. The main surprise for all of us, unexpected and very pleasant, was a huge cake baked specially for the Volunteer Day by a talented confectioner. And that’s how it always is in PTZ. Over the many years of friendship, we were pleased in December with an excursion to a husky and a visit to the Serpukhov Museum of History and Art – “Tret’yakovka” near Moscow. We had more than once unforgettable hikes in the closed territory – a snowy fairy tale. And at the closing of the volunteer season-2023 a long-awaited meeting of representatives of different areas of volunteering in PTZ took place at a festive generous table. We got acquainted and exchanged contacts – a close-knit community of “private volunteers”, delegates of corporate helpers and schoolchildren. Volunteers wished their favorite reserve to develop and get better. And be sure to call more often and more of their volunteers. We are like young pioneers, we are always ready to be friends and help!”. Volunteer season-2023 is closed, which means it’s time to get ready for the new volunteer season-2024!

Scientific Council

On December 19, a meeting of the Academic Council was held in the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve. It began with congratulations to the birthday boy – on Nikolin’s Day one of the permanent members of the Academic Council – the former director of the Reserve Mikhail Nikolaevich Brynskikh – celebrates his birthday. After a pleasant deviation from the regulations the floor was taken by the Deputy Director for scientific work Demidov Vasily Eduardovich, who highlighted the main events that took place in the second half of the year in the Reserve and its protected area. Separately, he presented the results of research published in 2023 in scientific publications, and also presented the plan of publications for the future 2024 and the plan of research and scientific-technical works of the Reserve for 2024. The report was made by Senior Researcher Victor Pererva, who presented the results of monitoring of woody undergrowth eatability in the study areas. This is an important indicator demonstrating the degree of impact of ungulates (elk, deer and roe deer) on forest vegetation. Having heard the reports, the Scientific Council approved the plan of research and scientific and technical works of the Reserve for 2024, and then proceeded to consider recommendations for recreational activities of the Reserve.  The plan of improvement of the Central Estate was positively evaluated, including the organization of museum premises in the old building of the cafe and the arrangement of the Entrance Zone. The members of the Academic Council also liked the prospect of organizing a mini botanical garden on the lawn in front of the administrative building, where visitors to the Reserve will have the opportunity to see the most interesting and unique species of plants growing in the Reserve. Mikhail Mikhailovich Shovkun, a botanist of the Reserve, suggested transplanting rare plants from those places in the Serpukhov Urban District where they are threatened with destruction to the botanical garden, creating a safe haven. This idea met with full approval, but with the caveat that the botanical garden should avoid planting species of plants that are alien to our area.  As a result, the Scientific Council approved a list of recommendations for recreational activities for the next decade.

The year is coming to an end, and the Reserve has a lot to remember

The year is coming to an end, which means that it is time to summarize the results, remember significant events, achievements, people – in short, what will become our history with the strike of the chimes. What was memorable for us in the past year?! The nomination “Man of the Year” is awarded to two employees of FGBU “Prioksko-Terrasny State Reserve” – Rodionova Svetlana Alekseevna and Sokolova Galina Veniaminovna. Each of them closely connected her life with the Reserve and in the outgoing year 2023 was honored with a high award. Svetlana Alekseevna was awarded the badge “Excellent Nature Conservationist” for her many years of conscientious work, great contribution to the development of environmental education and promotion of ecological knowledge. Galina Veniaminovna received the badge “Honorable Worker of Nature Protection”. The nomination “Event of the Year” is given to the complex of events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Central Bison Nursery, which took place in November 2023 on the territory of the Central Estate of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve and in the Museum and Exhibition Center of Serpu-Khov. Bison scientists of our country took part in the meeting of the section of experts on the conservation and restoration of the bison, and then together with the guests of honor attended the gala event and the exposition “The Bison Returns”. We unanimously award the nomination “Event of the Year” to a very important event – on October 3, eight bison born in 2022 were taken from the Central Bison Nursery to a new place of residence in the Turmonsky Reserve, located in North Ossetia. The bison from the Prioksko-Terrasny Zapovednik near Moscow will help restore the free-ranging population of these animals in the Caucasus. In the nomination “Project of the Year” there is only one contender – a large-scale reconstruction of the Central Estate of the Reserve! The long-awaited work started in the second half of the year and lasted until December. The result was a beautifully renovated entrance area to the Reserve’s estate: the old asphalt sidewalk was replaced by paving tiles, a zone of pedestrian paths and sidewalks, flowerbeds and flower beds was additionally organized. Our guests will fully appreciate the changes. The nomination “Achievement of the Year” – the Reserve’s record-breaking performance in the volunteer season of 2023. This year went down in history as a leader in the number of organized events with the participation of corporate volunteer groups. The Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve has made many new friends, but most importantly, it has retained all of its old friends! The nomination “Breakthrough of the Year” – Olga Kalinina’s photo report dedicated to the friendship between huge bison and small (actually big) tits, which aroused the greatest interest among the publications made by the Reserve in social networks. This post received the maximum number of views and reposts for this year. This is how we remembered 2023.