Omsk Union of journalists: Participants of Eco-School for Modern Media visited a nature reserve in the north of Omsk region

The third season of the eco-school of the Omsk Union of Journalists began at the end of August with the support of AO GC Titan and Gazprom Neft. The first lesson of the project was held in Yekaterinenskoe village (Tara region) where the northernmost eco-trail in the region is located. The press-tour was devoted to specially protected natural areas of the Omsk region and the development of domestic eco-tourism.

The eco-trail lies through an old-growth forest of the state nature reserve called Yekaterinenskoe isolated terrain feature.

This terrain feature is important for preserving biological and landscape diversity of the Omsk region. According to scientists, 16 species of plants and more than 170 species of animals can be found here, including those listed in the Red Book of the Omsk region.

There are information plates, resting places, signs, animal feeders, photo zones and art objects along the trail.

The trip was made by representatives of the mass media, bloggers and students and guided by Lyudmila Kulikova – a specialist from Tara.

“After returning to the city, we, journalists, are going to tell people about this trail. This will probably boost the domestic tourism development and tours to areas outside the city will be launched. Our region does have unique natural areas that most people do not know about and cannot get to on their own. Many thanks to the organizers of Eco-School for this trip,” journalist of Channel 12 Natalia Semyonova said.  

In total, there are 21 specially protected natural areas in the Omsk region: 16 state nature reserves, 3 natural monuments, 1 nature park, and 1 natural recreation complex.

The Eco-School’s curriculum includes not only educational lessons and master-classes held by professional journalists, but also trips to specially protected natural areas and nature reserves of the Omsk region. For example, during the first lesson the participants walked a 2.2 km trail through an old-growth forest. They learned about rare plants and fauna of this territory, learned about local problems that can be solved thanks to the trail. For example, in 2010, there were regular cases of illegal pine cutting. Due to the fact that this problem was covered by the mass media and local residents expressed their concern, the forest was saved and given a special protection status.

After the trip the participants attended a local branch of the Tourist Information Center and discussed the opportunities of the domestic tourism.

“The President of the Russian Federation has set a task to develop eco-tourism in the context of sustainable development of specially protected natural areas at all levels,” said Inna Grechina, Head of the Sector for the Development of Specially Protected Natural Areas of the Wildlife Conservation Department. Ecotourism is aimed at formation of ecological culture, education of careful attitude to nature, involvement of tourists in volunteer activities on preservation, restoration, rational use of natural resources, as well as study of the natural environment of their native land.

We should remind that the project Eco-School for Modern Media has been operating since 2022 and is aimed at improving the professional level of journalists and bloggers covering the topics of ecology and environmental protection. The project is organized by the Omsk Union of Journalists, and the general partners are AO GC Titan and Gazprom Neft.

You can join the eco-project at any stage by submitting an application to dzhomsk@gmail.com (including your full name, media/organization name and contact details).

Information

According to the data of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Roszapovedcentre" in 2022 the number of visitors to nature reserves and national parks in Russia was over 13 million 975 thousand people. Over the year the increase was 39.75 %.

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