A walk through the swamp will be offered to guests of the "Cranes and Cranberries of the Miory Region" festival

Miyory will host many guests on September 28-29 for the "Cranes and Cranberries of the Miory Region" festival. The ecological forum was first held last autumn and drew public attention to the unique nature of the region and an unusually beautiful spectacle: a large number of cranes and other rare migratory birds stop to rest in the territory of the "Yelnya" reserve.

We discussed what this state environmental institution plans to offer festival guests this year, as well as the concerns of "Yelnya," with the institution's director, Ivan Bork:

– This year, we decided to hold an ecological week in schools before the festival. And on September 29, the main events will take place. The program is rich: the election of "Cranberry Girl," a competition among rural councils for the best farmstead with cranberry dishes, animation from the public association "Ase of Birds of the Fatherland," a concert, and also bus transportation for those wishing to go to the fields where cranes live during the day to observe them through installed optical devices.

The idea of the festival itself had been around for a long time. Its holding became possible largely thanks to the UNDP project and its information support. The district executive committee allocated funds and prepared a cultural program. This year, our permanent partner Coca-Cola is also joining. Previously, it helped organize the annual volunteer camp. Its participants repair the cascades of dams on the canals leading from the center of the raised bog to the periphery to prevent drying out. For this year's festival, Coca-Cola has allocated money to purchase life-size costumes of the Crane and the Cranberry Girl. We also want to offer tourists a walk through the bog and a visit to the ecological center.

– Its creation is part of the UNDP project, right? Tell us in general about what has been done and the plans and ideas within the project.

– With its help, tourist equipment and inventory (tents, sleeping bags, binoculars, etc.) have been purchased and are already in use. There was a snag with the eco-trail: only 200 meters of boardwalk into the swamp are ready out of the planned 1.5 km. We had to re-tender, and recently found a new contractor. The eco-trail starts in the Taborishche tract of the Miory forestry of the State Forestry Institution "Disna Leskhoz".

– But the eco-center is ready to launch, isn't it? What awaits tourists?

– We only need to fill the premises with visual materials, stands, and models. Here, we plan to hold a briefing for journalists during the festival, thereby marking the opening of the environmental center in Miory. When the eco-trail is also operational, we will offer a package of services. Thanks to the project, we have received the necessary technical equipment: office equipment, televisions, computers, gaming terminals, a car, and an all-terrain vehicle. But it is not offered for tourist excursions.

– Why?

– We listen to the opinion of ecologists so as not to harm the swamp. We use the all-terrain vehicle for patrol raids, to accompany scientific expeditions or film crews, and in emergency situations when medical assistance is needed. There are only three employees in the reserve. You must admit, it's not many for fulfilling all the tasks assigned to us. Therefore, we closely cooperate with the local population, which treats the preservation of the swamp with great care. Residents of the villages adjacent to it report if there are intruders in the forest, for example, illegal diggers. This year, there was also such a report. We couldn't catch them, but at least we scared them off. We have to constantly mark our presence to protect the reserved places from poachers and violators who move around the reserve on motorboats, ATVs, and the like. By the way, speaking of ways to move around the swamp, for example, among children, swamp walks on snowshoes are especially popular.

– Is this one of your paid services?

– Yes, we lead groups of children, currently from local schools. We also offer guided tours for tourists, although the area is not closed to visitors and you can walk around independently. But it's more interesting to walk through the reserve with a person who knows the swamp well; they will tell you about the plants and animals you encounter. And it costs only 15,000 rubles per hour.

– What can be seen during such a walk?

– Yelnya is one of the largest raised bogs in Europe. A piece of tundra with a characteristic set of plants, animals, and birds, many of which are listed in the Red Book of Belarus. Moreover, there is no cleaner air even in a pine forest. Also, in some countries, swamp walks are offered as a preventive measure for spinal diseases. In addition, in September, we offer crane watching (including with optics) from towers in the evening. During the day, the birds feed in the fields, and at night they come to rest in the swamp. Thousands of beautiful birds gather in Yelnya for several hours – it's a mesmerizing sight!

– How do you attract foreign tourists here, who usually don't visit Belarusian websites and don't read our press?

– I try to participate in seminars and international meetings. I closely cooperate with the owners of agro-ecotourism estates within the framework of the recently formed Braslav-Miory cluster. Recently, we had Finns through this channel, and the other day, a foreign couple came from an agro-ecotourism estate. Many simply cannot imagine what Yelnya is. But after visiting here, they are delighted. And then the "word of mouth" works.

I am also planning to implement another idea. I want to create a page, something like "Friends of Yelnya," on the social network Facebook, where many foreigners are registered. And I will advertise our reserve, publish news and event announcements.

Ekaterina Knyazeva, Vitebskiye Vesti