This was the theme of the XV international scientific conference in Poland, which united employees of several Russian wisents protecting nature reserves and national parks.
In the middle of September Polish city Ostrow Wielkopolski hosted the XV international scientific conference. Many representatives of wisent protecting territories came there, such employees from national parks Smolenskoye Lakeland and Orlovskoye Polesye and nature reserves Prioksko-Terrasny and Briansk Forest. The meeting was organized by the European Bison Friends Society with help of Forest Culture Center in Goluchow.
All-in-all the meeting attracted 137 participants from 8 countries to support professional communications, to share experience and to discuss current issues of conservation and recovery of European wisent population.
The first day and a half of the conference were consecrated to presentations and reports. Russian participants had a chance to present as well. For example, National Park Orlovskoye Polesye Director Oleg Prigorianu spoke about the general role of Russian protected areas in conservation and reintroduction of European wisents, National Park Smolensk Lakeland Director Alexander Kochergin told the participants about the first results of Wisent Project in Smolensk Region, which had started in 2014.
The European Bison Friends Society had a separate private meeting, where the most acute themes were discussed. In case of Russian wisents in is firstly the lack of a consolidated Strategy of Wisent Protecting Territories and a joint center to concentrate all the up-to-date information about Russian wisents’ state. It is also very important to create a modern veterinary and genetic laboratory to have a possibility to work at a high international level of technology.
During the second day the participants took an excursion to wisent house in Forest Culture Center in Goluchow city. On the land of former estate of Duke Czartorysky open-air cages for wisents, deer, boars and horses stand near an arboretum with 100-year-old tees. There in a group of historical buildings stand Forest Museum with an exposition of forest devices collection in the restored stable.
Moreover, we had a chance to meet the management of Mazurski Park Krajobrazowy – Mazurian Landscape Park. This protected area is the territory of lakes and wetlands. It is included in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program and is certified as an Important Bird Area. This year the territory celebrates its 40th anniversary.
21.09.2017