Opening the conference, KarRC RAS CEO, RAS Corresponding Fellow Olga Bakhmet noted that the event is one of the first in a series of events of the International Academic Forum dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Karelian Research Centre RAS.
– Protected areas is a topic of high relevance for us, as employees of the Karelian Research Centre RAS were among the founders of almost the entire republic’s PA network. Over the years, while studying the unique nature of Karelia, scientists discovered natural features and ecosystems that were very different from others due to certain specific characteristics. Thoroughly investigating such areas, scientists concluded whether and to what extent they required protection. Accordingly, protected areas of federal and regional level were established across decades of the region’s history. As a result, what we have now is not just individual protected areas, but a PA network, which acts as an environmental scaffold, facilitating the preservation of Karelia’s natural assets, – emphasized Olga Bakhmet.
Speaking Mikhail Genba, Head of the Republic of Karelia Regional PA Directorate
The conference was attended by Alexander Yurchenko, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Karelia.
– Sustainable nature management does not mean we stop using natural resources, but rather that they are used wisely and responsibly. The system of protected areas is a means of achieving this, securing the conservation of the most valuable natural areas and key ecosystems. Environmental well-being is directly predicated on the preservation of ecosystem integrity, and the degradation of protected areas would entail a loss of biodiversity, disruption of natural processes and ecosystem resilience. That is why one of the objectives of the national project ‘Environmental Well-being’ is the development of the PA system in the country, – noted the minister.
Today, Karelia has 156 protected areas, of which 145 are of regional significance and 11 are of federal significance. In total, PAs cover over a million hectares – approximately 5.5% of the republic’s territory.
Mikhail Genba, Head of the Republic of Karelia Regional PA Directorate, recounted that PAs in Karelia began to emerge in the 1930s.
– A pivotal actor in the designation of protected areas in our republic surely was the scientific community – staff of the Karelian Research Centre RAS. Thanks to the tireless work of scientists, who conduct research, prepare nomination papers for PA designations, and study the unique natural complexes and rare plant and animal species, we can see protected areas in their present form, – remarked Mikhail Genba.
One of the activities for regional-level protected areas today is eco-tourism – people visiting natural sites in a responsible manner, without causing damage.
– For us, eco-tourism is not just a buzzword, but a vital necessity. The more people wish to see the natural beauty of Karelia, the greater the responsibility to preserve that beauty, – noted the head of the Directorate.
Olga Bakhmet, in her turn, added that scientists are willing to actively engage in the development of eco-tourism routes, and some groundwork is already available.
– Our task, as we see it, is to draw a network of such routes on the one hand, and to help widely communicate scientific knowledge about particular protected areas on the other, – said the RAS Corresponding Fellow.
Presentation made by Director of the Kizhi Open-Air Museum Elena Bogdanova
The plenary session was addressed by leaders of the republic’s main protected areas. Starting her talk, Elena Bogdanova, Director of the Kizhi Open-air Museum, acknowledged the contribution of scientists to the preservation of wooden architecture, monitoring of the biodeterioration and deformation of the heritage structures.
– The technologies you have proposed, dear colleagues, are truly effective, enabling us to gradually move from full-scale restoration to the preservation of wooden architecture. One very important outcome of all this work is that this year, with funding from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, we are establishing a Wood Laboratory, which will study historical timber and share expertise in cultural heritage preservation with colleagues across the country, – informed Elena Bogdanova.
Another major interaction between the museum and the research center is cooperation with specialists from the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History KarRC RAS on reconstructing the traditional rural lifestyles in Karelia and preserving the region’s intangible and folklore heritage.
Speaking of new cooperation vectors towards deepening of scientific research and widening of educational activities, Elena Bogdanova mentioned a comprehensive analysis of anthropogenic impact on the archipelago’s unique ecosystems in connection with growing tourist traffic, conducting environmental campaigns and local community involvement, preparing a popular science edition on the natural heritage of the Kizhi archipelago, and improving the GIS base for facilitating nature monitoring through more intensive research.
– So, further cooperation between the Kizhi Museum and the Karelian Research Centre will be aimed at designing a holistic system of natural heritage management, where basic science, modern technologies and practical conservation work will all serve one principal goal – preserving the unique natural and cultural landscape for future generations, – summarized Elena Bogdanova.
Anna Proshutinskaya, Deputy Director for Environmental Education and Tourism at Vodlozersky National Park, highlighted the key events and practices of the park’s anniversary year. Viktoria Teleganova, Deputy Head of the Biodiversity Monitoring Department of the Kaluga Region Parks Directorate, spoke about the experience of studying and monitoring biodiversity of regional protected areas. Sergei Tarkhov, Director of the Joint Directorate of the Kostomukshsky State Nature Reserve and Kalevalsky National Park, presented the integration of the two PAs into the socio-economic development of the Kostomuksha Municipality of Karelia. Olga Fomina, Deputy Director of the Kivach State Nature Reserve, talked about the role of protected areas in public environmental education and the region’s economic development. Alexey Tomilin, a representative of the Conservationists Association, devoted his presentation to a software package for planning, supporting, and processing the results of winter track counts for all federal-level PAs.
Anastasiia Protasova, Head of the Department for Research and Environmental Education at the Paanajärvi National Park, shared information about the project “Arctic Nature in the Paanajärvi National Park” and the biodiversity-centered integrated monitoring conducted within this project.
– Paanajärvi National Park was established in 1992 to conserve the unique natural ecosystems of Lake Paanajärvi and the Olanga River catchment. Its designation was initiated by scientists of the Karelian Research Centre and achieved owing to their resolution and substantiation. The park is situated at the Arctic Circle, on the watershed between two seas – the White Sea and the Barents Sea. Our territory is unique, featuring a great variety of landscapes, which determine the biota and the biotopes, – said Anastasia Protasova.
The project “Arctic Nature in the Paanajärvi National Park” is a winner of the first competition for grants from the Presidential Nature Fund. It is implemented by the North Center Association and the Paanajärvi National Park, with the Karelian Research Centre RAS as a partner. The objective of the project is conservation of unique Arctic ecosystems. To this end, researchers will collect up-to-date information on the biodiversity of the Paanajärvi NP, including the current state of rare and protected species and how humans have impacted natural sites and features. This summer, scientists from the KarRC RAS launched a major multi-disciplinary expedition to the Paanajärvi NP. It involves specialists from various fields: parasitology, forest science, soil science, botany, zoology, entomology, etc.
After lunch, the conference continued its work in thematic sections, where scientists from various regions and countries discussed topical research fields, the use of modern methods for studying and conserving typical and unique natural complexes, as well as promising lines for cooperation between academia and protected areas, in particular within the framework of RF national projects, and many other issues.
Photos: Igor Georgievsky /KarRC RAS