On August 28 the first student team Tiger, organized by the autonomous non-commercial organization the Amur Tiger Centre, triumphantly completed its environmental mission in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve. The team’s leader, Aleksandr Kozhushko, sawed the board representing a symbolic “red ribbon” at the start of the Mys Severny eco-trail, renovated by the students. There are no analogues of such eco-trails situated in the wild taiga in the territory of the tiger’s habitat in the Far East.
A group of 25 young professionals from Far Eastern Federal University and Primorskaya State Academy of Agriculture was renovating the Mys Sevуrny eco-trail for two months. Future biologists, ecologists, foresters, game wardens and veterinarians were involved in the modernization of the tourist route, which will undoubtedly become the hallmark of the reserve.
"During the time spent at the Blagodatnoe Urochische, the 5 km long Mys Severny eco-trail, founded in 2007, was given a second birth. 1 km 40 m of marshland have been covered with deck, 800 m of the trail and four bridges of different levels of difficulty, two stair descents from the forest to the coast and from the watch tower at Mys Severny to the rookery of spotted seals have been built, - says the leader of the team Tiger Aleksandr Kozhushko .- We have also renovated the watch tower. In addition, after two typhoons we have cleared the areas of the trail from the fallen trees. Some trees were left as objects of natural landscaping. All this has been done in order to create comfortable conditions for visitors and at the same time reduce their impact on the environment."
On the last day the students got to have a walk along the Blagodatnoe Urochsche, take memorable photos, and once again enjoy the view from Mys Severny at Bukhta Udobnaya. On their way back along the waterfront, the students were clearing it from the debris stranded by Typhoon Halong. In the camp the students were awarded with diplomas and memorable gifts from the ANO the Amur Tiger Centre, the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve and the Primorsky regional branch of the All-Russian public youth organization «Russian student teams».
«We have completed everything that had been planned, and even more. Two months of hard work far away from home is a challenge, but students have coped with all the amount of work. I think this practice should be continued. In the future, such events will be easier to organize in the view of the experience gained by the student team Tiger. In the future, the trail will require constant attention and care. We have a lot to show. We want the tourists, who have walked along the trail, to remember it as one of the most beautiful places on the planet," - summarizes Dmitry Gorshkov, Director of the Sikhote-Alin reserve.
All goals set both by the Amur Tiger Center and the team, have been achieved. - says Sergey Aramilev, Deputy General Director - Director of the Amur Tiger Center’s Primorye branch. - We have achieved much more than was expected. It is clear that the appetite comes with eating, and plans outlined previously have increased by almost half. But what happened is very encouraging, and above all the fact that many guys established themselves in their decision to continue career in the study and conservation of the environment. We hope that the two months of environmental watch will give us new qualified specialists who will truly love nature, protect it. We have a fairly large amount of work in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve and other protected natural areas both of federal and regional importance. If this movement actively develops, there will be enough work for years to come, beneficial for both the people involved in it, and for the unique fauna of the south of the Far East and its gem - the Amur tiger. "