Scientists invite nature lovers to take part in bird population monitoring

Ornithologists at KarRC RAS are recruiting volunteers to participate in monitoring bird populations in Karelia and the Leningrad Region. Avian populations, including those of rare species, are undergoing change. To track its scope and understand its causes, it is necessary to regularly conduct bird counts at the same locations and using the same methodology. The denser the transect network, the more effective the observations. Nature enthusiasts can lend a helping hand to scientists and contribute to this large-scale research.

Scientists of KarRC RAS undertook two multidisciplinary expeditions to Vottovaara National Park

Staff of the Forest Research Institute and Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Centre RAS performed two multidisciplinary expeditions to the Vottovaara National Park in the summer of 2025.

KarRC RAS staff to celebrate the Forest Workers’ Day by giving exciting lectures

The Forest Workers’ Day is historically celebrated in Russia on the third Sunday of September, which in 2025 was on day 21. Honoring this holiday, researchers of the Forest Research Institute KarRC RAS will give several lectures at the Modern Art Museum.

Researchers from BRICS+ countries network to study human-altered ecosystems

Studies of human-altered ecosystems were the key theme of the international webinar organized by the Karelian Research Centre RAS for scientists from Russia, India, China, and Belarus. Researchers shared expertise on the application of modern approaches and the results of their work, and agreed to create an expert network for further interactions.

Ministry of Science and Higher Education Russia extends the mandate of Olga Bakhmet as KarRC RAS Director General

Having considered materials from the competition for the post of Director General of the Karelian Research Centre RAS, Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education resolved to extend the mandate of Olga Bakhmet as Acting Director General. The candidacies of Alexander Kryshen and Yuri Zaika were not supported by the Ministry. The former did not get the required approvals, while the latter received the fewest votes among the three candidates.

RAS Corr. Academician Olga Bakhmet: “Establishment of an association of federal research centers will help handle common issues”

KarRC RAS Director General Olga Bakhmet took part in a meeting of heads of federal research centers held in the Republic of Tatarstan as one of the events dedicated to the anniversary of the Kazan Scientific Center RAS. The meeting addressed issues common to scientific organizations in Russian regions, including the possibility of establishing an association of Centers.

Scientists performing integrated monitoring of Ladoga Skerries NP ecosystems

A multidisciplinary expedition to the Ladoga Skerries National Park was performed by specialists from several subdivisions of KarRC RAS. The focus was on the park’s plants and animals. Scientists map the forest cover and its dynamics, identify rare species, and evaluate human impact on the natural ecosystems. The results can be used when planning economic and recreational activities in the protected area.

Karelian scientists performed an expedition in the footsteps of Elias Lönnrot and Into Kondrad Inha

Staff of the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History KarRC RAS went on an expedition around northern parts of Karelia, visiting places journeyed in the 19th century by collector of Karelian runo songs and author of the “Kalevala” epic Elias Lönnrot and by a well-known Finnish journalist and photographer Into Kondrad Inha.

Aapa mires – a potential joint research interest for scientists from Karelia, Khabarovsk, China

Head of the Mire Ecosystems Laboratory at the Institute of Biology KarRC RAS Stanislav Kutenkov took part in the International Symposium on Conservation and Sustainable Development of Peatland Resources in the Chinese city of Changchun. The laboratory implements studies far beyond Karelia, including the Russian Far East, so there is potential for collaboration with Chinese scientists on comparative mire studies.

Scientists exploring for fungal strains capable of controlling ixodid tick numbers

Karelian scientists have conducted an experiment where taiga ticks (Ixodes persulcatus) were infected with various strains of entomopathogenic fungi – parasites that affect many groups of arthropods. The strain collected from Bolshoy Solovetsky Island in the White Sea proved to be the most effective: tick mortality in this treatment was 45% on the seventh day and rose to 95% on the eleventh day. The results can be used to develop biologics for controlling the numbers of the main vector of dangerous diseases.