Chronicle of news for the month.
One two Three! The summer months flew by quickly, and now the golden autumn is already in the yard. She comes with new worries, with summing up the results of summer scientific work, with the season of bird flocks and bird counts.
The reserve once again drew the attention of the authorities of the Moscow Region and the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia to the fact that for 40 years the problem of a through road through protected forests to the village of Sushki has not been solved. Back in the 80s of the last century, the crossing of the Sushka River became unusable, and therefore the road that went around the reserve became impassable. It became impossible for the villagers to get home, and the reserve temporarily allowed them to travel through its territory. But this «temporarily» dragged on for 40 years and the problem of restoring the old road has not been resolved so far. A meeting of the reserve’s management with representatives of the administration of the city of Serpukhov, the Ministry of Transport of the Moscow Region and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia was devoted to this topic. As a result of the meeting, a roadmap was developed for the implementation of specific measures aimed at carrying out the restoration of the existing forestry road and crossing the Sushka River. The participants of the event decided to continue constructive interaction in the collection, analysis and exchange of information necessary to solve the existing problem.
For a long time, people believed that happiness will be with the one who finds a fern flower. And although today it is known for sure that a fern plant does not have flowers, but the hope for a happy find lives in the human soul. Now you can try your luck in Moscow. Employees of our reserve, together with the artists of the Moscow Puppet Theater named after Vladimir Obraztsov, planted one of the oldest plants on Earth — a fern — in the park located near the Obraztsovsky Theater. Thus, our reserve joined the ecological project of the Ministry of Culture of Russia «Cultural Botany». The action «Cultural Botany» is educational in nature. Participating in it, children explore any plant they like to choose, comprehensively study its morphology and physiology, and learn popular names. That is, they carry out real, albeit small, scientific work.
Every year on September 22, World Carfree Day is celebrated, on which it is proposed to stop using personal vehicles for at least a day. Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve takes part in the action and invites visitors to support this still new, but very useful «green» initiative! All guests who come to our reserve by bicycle or public transport will receive a 50% discount on the excursion route «The Road to the Bison»!
And in the Central Bison Nursery, bison spend more and more time at the feeders before the long cold winter. Visitors to the reserve replenish our «Chests of Good» during each excursion. I would especially like to mention the pupils and employees of the kindergarten № 3 «Nezabudka» in Protvino! The guys together with their parents collected more than 50 kilograms of delicacies. The kids personally put the gifts in boxes, and the teacher brought vegetables and fruits to the reserve. Carefully sliced juicy apples disappear from the feeders in a couple of moments. This is a trifle, but such trifles make up a comfortable and favorable life for the largest mammals in Europe, huge and at the same time defenseless.
Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve is establishing cooperation with the leading scientific center for veterinary medicine in the Krasnodar Territory. In September, Denis Osepchuk, director of the Krasnodar Scientific Center for Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, paid a working visit to the reserve. He got acquainted with the work of the Central Bison Nursery, colleagues discussed the ways and methods of feeding bison in the nursery, the prospects for scientific cooperation. Our bison have new reliable friends!
Solving large-scale problems, the reserve does not forget about the fate of its inhabitants — from the largest to the smallest. During a tour of the territory, a patrol group of state inspectors of the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve rescued a hedgehog stuck in a wire. State inspector in the field of environmental protection Vladimir Nifontov says: “While patrolling the reserve zone in a mesh fence, we saw a brownish-gray lump below the very ground. We drive up, get out of the car. That’s the number! The little hedgehog is stuck in the wire. It hangs resignedly above the ground itself, its fragile body hardly moves. How did you get in there, kid? A rescue operation begins urgently. Take the wire cutters and carefully cut the links of the wire. The hedgehog shudders in fright after each click of the nippers, fiddles with its paws, fearfully looks at us with black beads of eyes. Here’s another little effort and the poor fellow is free. Having escaped from captivity, the hedgehog treads in place, once again looks at us, as if thanks for our salvation, and slowly disappears into the tall grass. And in our souls it becomes easy and good! At such moments, the main purpose of our work becomes visible — to preserve and protect wildlife!
