Fires continue
A fire broke out again in the protected area of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve. The ignition of last year’s dry grass began in the floodplain of the Oka River and due to strong winds quickly spread towards the forest area of the reserve, posing a threat to the particularly valuable “tulip site”, where researchers have been monitoring the population of the Bieberstein Tulip, rare for the region, for many years. Thanks to the rapid actions of the fire extinguishing brigade of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve and firefighters of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the fire was localized and eliminated within a few hours. The cause of the fire, as in most similar cases, is the irresponsible handling of fire, which once again forced significant forces and resources to be involved in extinguishing. This is the second case that has occurred this year. Be careful — it is easier to prevent a fire than to extinguish it later. It is necessary to handle fire deliberately and carefully, especially when a fire season has been declared in Moscow region.
Hot weekend on July 12-13
The specialists of the Departments of Environmental Education and Educational Tourism of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve took part in two amazing festivals held in Moscow this weekend. The VI Festival of the Russian Geographical Society will be held in Zaryadye Park from July 12 to 20, 2025. On Saturday, July 12, the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve presented its ecological and educational program here. The guests could test themselves in fascinating master-classes: the Birds Association, Touching Quest, and the youngest guests could take part in the new game program “Zapovednaya Azbuka.” In breaks our guests were entertained by full-length dolls “Bison”, constant participants in the holidays and photo sessions. The festival started brightly: dozens of free workshops were held simultaneously, lectures, quizzes and film screenings were held. Scientists, eco-educators, writers, artists, travelers and tour operators gathered at one site. On July 13, the reserve’s specialists repeated their environmental education program at the food mall “Depot. Three railway stations”, where the festival “Taste of Summer” was held. The festival program included tastings, outdoor activities and entertainment for all ages. Famous singers and artists performed on the main stage. Despite the many celebrities and the abundance of interesting offers, the site, organized by the Information and Analytical Center for Conservation Support, was not empty for a second. The children and their parents were even ready to stand in line to take part in master-classes from the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve and National Park “Ladoga Skerries”.
Summer practices
The summer practice season is coming to an end in the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve. In 2025 students of the Department of Geobotany, Faculty of Biology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, traditionally spent two weeks in the forest. In any weather, cold and heat, rain and drought, in any of the most terrible places: in tick thickets and mosquito swamps, these brave people have been everywhere under the guidance of Professor Vladimir Onipchenko. Students of the Faculty of Biotechnology followed in the footsteps of geobotanics, led by Maria Ploshchinskaya. More numerous and therefore completely fearless, young biotechnologists ventured to see the predatory sundew plant by climbing to the farthest swamp. They also managed to visit the Doly tract, where the students first got acquainted with the relict steppe flora of the Oka. Entomology students under the guidance of Alexander Timokhov studied the insect world, especially bloodsucking horseflies and gadflies. At the same time, Evdokia Firsova, a 3rd-year student of the Geography Faculty of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, conducted tree stand monitoring in permanent test areas in the pine forests and oak forests of the reserve. Over a long period of work, the intern learned to take more and more sweet biscuits for a snack, which is why volunteers and reserve inspectors were always ready to help her. But, unfortunately, practices and sweet biscuits are coming to an end, and the scientific department of the reserve can only sit and wait for student reports to determine which data will be included in the Annals of Nature in 2025. We hope that the days spent in the reserve will be remembered by the students for a long time, and the knowledge gained will be assimilated and applied in future independent scientific research.
