Under the auspices of the Far Eastern Federal University and Leopard Land National Park, volunteers visited Kedrovaya Pad Reserve and Leopard Land National Park last weekend. Far Eastern Federal University student-ecologists observed the main activities of Leopard Land and helped improve the national park.   

On the first day, researcher Anna Shcheblykina briefed the volunteers on the activities of Leopard Land National Park and Kedrovaya Pad Reserve. Along with Yevgeniya Soboleva, an expert on environmental education in the national park and Far Eastern Federal University teacher, the students discussed the activities of the volunteers and what assistance they might be able to offer to Leopard Land. They also discussed how useful this activity might be for the volunteers themselves and how it could help preserve the Far Eastern leopard. The assistants didn’t forget their obligations as volunteer. While those on duty prepared a meal, the rest of the students collected rubbish along the road near the reserve.

The schedule on the second day included a trip to Barabashevsky Kordon and a tour of some feeding grounds. On the way there, the volunteers collected rubbish on the road to Barabashevsky Kordon. During their tour, the volunteers learned how and why biotechnical research was being conducted at Leopard Land National Park. Yulia Burkova, an expert on environmental education, explained the function and procedure for installing trail cameras. She talked about photo monitoring and explained how this method helps to control the efficiency of the feeding grounds. The tour of the feeding grounds was very educational for the volunteers because they were all ecology students; most hoping for a career in environmental activity.    

This trip was only the beginning of the activities for the volunteers  at Leopard Land. In the future, Leopard Land employees intend to further develop the volunteer programme so that anybody can contribute to the conservation of the Far Eastern leopard. Those interested in getting involved can file an application to do so. The application form can be found at http://leopard-land.ru or at the Leopard Land press centre at 69 Svetlanskaya Street, Valdivostok.