Grant “Cedar Tract”

In 2013 we won a grant “Cedar tract”, within the framework of the annual competition of small grants “every drop matters-Lake Baikal: Clean Baikal for a clean future”, aimed at the development of ecotourism, improving the quality of water resources and On waste management.

The Aim of the Project “Cedar Tract” is to create an ecological-historical route on the shores of Lake Baikal in order to develop cognitive tourism in the rural settlement on the basis of the old Moscow (Kruobaikalsky) tract.

Once upon a time on the southern shore of Lake Baikal there grew absolutely fabulous cedars. At construction of Kruobaikalskaya railway they have cut down and now still mighty stumps and remains of Polennitz, covered with a fur of Brusnicnikov, tell that there were these woods a considerable share of riches and glory of edge. As it is necessary, on a place of cedars have grown birch so that under their canopy in due course the cedar has resumed. In the surviving Kurtinki It happened-the cedar was already out in the first tier, displacing the birch, and began to bear fruit, but on the main territory “thanks to the effect of human presence, this process has become an endless chain of forest tragedies. Forest birds and animals scatter cedar nuts from neighboring tracts, cedar rises, begins to grow, but about once in 10-15 years of fading from the grass-roots because of the left fires, recently increased cases of unauthorized felling of ripe cedars on the buildings on Uncontrolled territories. At present it is possible to recreate the cedar forest along the old Moscow tract for over 1000 meters.

In 2012, at the Council of Deputies of the MOD GP “Tankhoi” was approved a request for the allocation of a coastal area (about 5 hectares) boarding school № 21 for long-term use for activities aimed at socio-economic development of MOD GP ” Tankhoi “. It is planned to create a specially protected natural Area (PAS) of local importance for conservation and restoration of the area with the predominance of indigenous cedars, as well as rare relic species of plants, the organization of ecological routes with the display Indigenous flora and historically significant places, carrying out of school research works and educational ecological schools and camps. The working name of the territory is “children’s reserve”. The supposed category of protected areas is a recreational area of local importance.

1. In June, reconnaissance of the Route by the invited landscape designer from Moscow was conducted. With the help of GPS navigator were removed points of model territory for the mapping-scheme terrain.

2. Three mass actions on planting cedar seedlings were held. One action in June with the graduates of the school-boarding school № 21, the second with participants of the summer school project “Baikal International School” and the third in September with schoolchildren. Also cedar seedlings in September planted the performers on the grant. In total, about 200 cedar trees were planted.

3. Instead of one planned action on cleaning of the shore of Lake Baikal three were carried out: cleaning of forest and coastline of model territory by schoolchildren, action “360 minutes for Baikal” with participation of visitors volunteers and local population and school Action to the day of Baikal on cleaning of the village coastline of Lake Baikal. In total, 10 trucks of garbage were taken out, and during the action “360 minutes for the sake of Baikal” garbage collected separately, sorting by fractions: glass, aluminum, PET. In total, about 300 people took part in the rallies.

4. During the summer school camp “young researcher” the children were laid a cedar nursery. 100 cedar nuts were planted, the children themselves dug up the site, and in the future will continue to monitor the germination of seeds and growth. It was supposed that every month there will be a need for work in the nursery, but the practice showed that the main difficult part of the work was in June, when the children dug the ground, chose weeds, friable and planted cedar nuts. During the summer the nursery did not demand special care and in September children only rinsed weeds.

5. Landscape designer developed design-project and map-scheme of model territory, with detailed elaboration of small architectural forms. All elements of the project are stylized under the time of development of Siberia and can be used in the future for realization “in kind” on a pilot site. Besides, the improvement of the planned resting place has already begun and the most anti-vandal benches have been installed. At the beginning of the Designed Cedar Alley an information index is installed, in accordance with the developed design project. It was originally planned to install the usual fabric banners, but during the discussion with the experts the concept changed towards the stylization of small architectural forms under the 18th century

6. With roads, everything turned out to be much worse than expected. To pour out a section of road, only leading to a highway, it was required already on a considerable quantity of cars more. But now already repaired site pleases locals and tourists convenient walking distance.

7. For work on geobotanical description A specialist-biologist, postgraduate student of the Department of Geobotany of MSU M. V. Lomonosov was invited. A geoobanistic survey of the territory was carried out, a floral list of higher vascular plants was compiled, and a map-scheme of vegetation of the site was made. Total in geobotanical survey of the Territory was noted 87 species (6 species of trees and shrubs and 75 species of shrubs and grassy plants). Of them, 2 species belong to rare and protected-included in the Red Book of Plants of the Republic of Buryatia. It is blue eyed northern and the bunch is multi-split.

8. For installation of small architectural forms It was planned 4 months, but coped for two. Three anti-vandal benches and one information index are installed.

9. production of information products (brochure, badges, booklets, bandanas).

We thank ALL participants and assistants of the project!

Special thanks to: Gamova Natalia (Moscow) for the geootic description of the territory, Orestov Yaroslav Igor (Moscow) for the design project and love to Tanhoyu, Voronova Evgenie (p. Tanhoy) for transport and support, Totoruku Alexander (p. Tanhoy) For the help in the manufacture of small architectural forms, Krasnopevtseva Victoria (p. Tanhoy) for informational (and not only!) support of the project.