On 1 July 2019, the sixth session of the Tiger student team started in the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve. Nineteen students from different regions of the country have to finish building ecotourism infrastructure in the Blagodatnoye natural landmark within 1.5 months.

According to Svetlana Sutyrina, acting director of the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve, one of the team’s priorities is to repair the eco-trails built earlier.

“It is necessary to repair the boarded paths, observation towers and gazebos in certain places, plus routine activities such as mowing the trails so that it is easy to walk and so that the boarded paths last longer,” Sutyrina said.
According to her, this year two gazebos will also be built in the car park and by Golubichnaya Bay. Construction of the trail to Lysaya Mountain is nearing completion.

“Hopefully, this year we will open the trail by the end of the session. This will be the fourth trail in the Blagodatnoye natural landmark, which, I think, will complete the network of eco-trails here,” Sutyrina noted.

Students who study environmental protection or who take part in conservation-related activities from all over Russia —Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Blagoveshchensk, Novosibirsk, Kazan, St Petersburg and Moscow — were selected for the Tiger student team. However, other important factors were taken into account during the selection process, such as volunteer experience, fieldwork experience, health status, teamwork skills, and civic engagement.

“Meeting with young people who have relevant education — future veterinarians, game managers and foresters — is always very exciting, and I always look forward to these meetings, because I hope that some of these students will come here as reserve employees. We are now actively looking for young professionals for both the research and security departments. I would be happy if some of the students decide to work at our reserve in the future,” said Svetlana Sutyrina.
The Tiger team will work in the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve from 1 July to 15 August 2019.