On October 17, Saratov State University held an expanded meeting of the SRO of the Russian Ecological Society All-Russian Public Organisation for the Protection of Natural Resources. The honourary guests were Chair of the Russian Ecological Society Rashid Ismailov, and Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Saratov Region Konstantin Doronin. Representatives of the scientific community of the region discussed the development of ecological tourism in protected natural areas.

The moderator of the meeting, Head of the Education-to-Research Laboratory of Urban Ecology and Regional Analysis Alexander Nevryuyev reported on the results of SSU work on protected natural areas of the region.

Today, in Saratov Region there are 87 protected natural areas (PNA) of regional significance and two objects of federal significance – Khvalynsk National Park and Saratovskii State Nature Reserve in Fedorov District, Saratov Region. It is planned to create another national park – Dyakov Forest in Krasnokutsk District. Due to the large-scale efforts of the SSU scientists and the regional ministry for the last more than 20 years, some protected natural areas have been created in the region – in 2008 Kumys Meadow Nature Park, the area of which was eventually increased by 2 thousand hectares, in 2012 – Wolf Beam, in 2013 – Kuril Tulip Steppe, in 2017-2018 – Valley Complex of the Khoper River, in 2019 – Tulip Steppe in the Valley of the Mechyotka River, and Sarma Tulip Steppe (2021-2023).

According to Alexander Nevryuyev, during this period, they conducted a cadastral inventory of protected the areas and developed a geoinformation system of them.

‘For many years, I have been directly involved in all these projects in mapping and monitoring natural areas. Our main resource is our students who are already involved in research during their studies. It is important to invite them to these projects, as we could also take on many issues in ecological and scientific tourism. We have the capabilities, developments, and experience, and if there is interest in their application, we are ready to start work,’ SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko addressed the participants of the meeting.

The initiative of the SSU administration was supported by Chair of the Russian Ecological Society Rashid Ismailov. He suggested using the SSU potential in working on a project to develop the concept of ecological tourism and protected areas, relying on its research. ‘We have a request for eco-tourism, we need to think about how to preserve natural areas and at the same time increase the number of tourists,’ Rashid Ismailov explained.

Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Saratov Region Konstantin Doronin also spoke about the scientific component of the research of natural areas. The representatives of the Ministry announced the working group that would be developing the concept for the development of protected areas.

Dean of the Faculty of Geography, Chair of the Saratov Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society Vladimir Makarov presented the development concept of protected areas in Saratov Region. According to him, it is important to create areas of protected natural objects of both botanical and landscape significance.

The landscape concept, according to Makarov, will provide an overview and assessment of the natural, social, and cultural resources of the region. ‘Focusing on the key natural objects of the region – the Volga, the Volga Upland – we must turn the network of protected areas into a system of protected areas. It is important to preserve the area that have not almost been changed by economic activity and to continue identifying and protecting new unique and typical landscape allotments. It is necessary to take into account the hierarchy of protected areas, their connectivity based on the concept of a linear-nodal form of organisation of the protected area system,’ Vladimir Makarov marked.

The participants of the meeting also discussed the development of water ecological transport in the region, afforestation, the development of the resources for the creation and monitoring of protected areas.