The fifth session of the Tiger student team continues to work in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve in the Primorye Territory. Until 15 July, 19 selected environmental students will help the reserve staff to improve the tourist complex in Petrov Bay and create new eco-trails in the surrounding area.

The session participants underwent thorough training on the rules of conduct, safety measures and the schedule of work and rest at the ranger station. Particular attention was paid to coronavirus response measures and strict adherence to sanitary and epidemiological standards.

“In recent years, the Tiger student team’s activity has become an integral part of the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, and every year we look forward to the arrival of students. Despite their youth, we understand how energetic they are and what a large amount of useful work they can do. For us, the students’ desire for joint work is extremely important, which from year to year allows us to solve very important issues concerning the construction and repair of eco-trails, the improvement of the ranger station in Petrov Bay and forestry activities. We hope that students from the team, at least some of them, will get inspired by the protected area and environmental affairs, and return as staff members of the reserve or the national park. We will be very glad to see them,” said Vladimir Aramilev, director of the Joint Administration of the Lazovsky Nature Reserve and Call of the Tiger National Park.

Students of specialties directly or indirectly related to nature conservation were selected for the Tiger student team. The selection criteria were not limited to specialty, with other important skills assessed, such as volunteer experience, field work experience, health status, ability to work in a team, activism and intention to work in environmental areas in the future.
In addition to the professional and personal qualities of the applicants, the organisers had to take into account sanitary and epidemiological safety. Nevertheless, four participants from other regions – Voronezh, Kaliningrad and Blagoveshchensk – were selected for the team.

  “This year, as before, the team faces serious, important tasks: landscaping the territory of the tourist complex in Petrov Bay and upgrading eco-trails on the mainland. Previous members of the student team in past years worked hard and together built an eco-trail on Petrov Island. It was a big job. Now we have the honour of participating in the construction of new routes in the reserve. We will try to keep or perhaps even exceed the pace that the previous sessions set. When you realise that this work will improve nature, it is twice as enjoyable to do it,” said Yury Gvozdik, head of the 2020 Tiger student team and a third-year student of the Department of Forest Game Management of the Primorye State Agricultural Academy.

The Tiger student environmental team is an educational project created in 2014 by the Amur Tiger Centre with the aim of developing ecotourism in the Far East and training specialists for the environmental sector.