The Yalnya bog restoration event took place in the Vitebsk region

May 7, Minsk / Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA /. The public organization "Aхова птушак Бацькаўшчыны" (APB) has carried out an action to restore the hydrological regime of the Yelnya marsh (Vitebsk region). This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by APB environmental specialist Sergey Zuenok. Work on restoring the hydrological regime of the Yelnya marsh has been carried out for two years. During this time, more than 30 dams have been built on the drainage canals that dry out the marsh. During the recent action, APB specialists, together with employees of the Yelnya Republican Hydrogeological Reserve and the Coca-Cola Beverages Belarus company, carried out joint work to reconstruct those dams that needed reinforcement. The project will continue in the upcoming summer season. "A new dam is to be built on the Yelnyanka River. This will further raise the water level in the marsh, restore populations of certain species of wetland vegetation in the future, and generally preserve the unique natural world in this territory," the source said. Yelnya is one of the largest raised bogs in Europe. Several decades ago, human economic activity caused a decrease in groundwater and excessive drying of a significant part of the marsh. In some areas, the peat was completely dry, which increased the risk of fires. Restoring the hydrological regime of Yelnya will help prevent the destruction of ecosystems that are rare not only in Belarus but also in Europe. The Yelnya reserve is home to 11 rare plant species, including dwarf birch and cloudberry. The Yelnya marsh complex is not only a hydrological reserve but also one of the key ornithological territories in Belarus. It is inhabited by 98 species of birds, 23 of which are listed in the Red Book of Belarus. Rare birds such as the white-billed diver, lesser white-fronted goose, ptarmigan, and golden plover can be found in the reserve. -0-