Joining forces for the new national park

Machaon International helps in the newest national park in Russia in the southern part of the Komi Republic.

On 7th December 2019, Russia has established another national park – Koygorodskiy National Park protecting 56,700 ha of pristine taiga forest – one of the least disturbed forest areas in Europe, practically unaffected by economic activity and with rich biodiversity. The creation of a national park should ensure protection of the existing natural ecosystem and its inhabitants and contribute to the development of nature-oriented tourism and other economic opportunities.

In the new project Northern Lights, Machaon International joined forces with its local partner in the Komi Republic Foundation for Sustainable Development Silver Taiga (which was engaged in the creation of the national park) and other partners and stakeholders in the Priluzsk district to help local people, in particular women, to benefit from the new park and improve their livelihoods by new employment in rural tourism and recreation.

In the project, it is envisioned to establish a visitor center of the park in the existing Center for Fine Arts and Creativity in Obyachevo (about 180 km south-west from Syvtyvkar – the capital of the republic), so it can become a hub for ecological tourism in the future. The center should provide guided tours to the park (for that local guides will be trained) and sell authentic souvenirs (e.g. handmade products by local artists and craftsmen), other local organic food products such as herbal teas, dried mushrooms, fruit jams, etc. Members of voluntary area council “Vysogorka” (uniting active women from the area) are interested in organizing excursions in so called “Health Path” and in treating visitors with local teas and fruit cakes in a small tea house near the park.

We are proud to be one of the first international organizations to support this new protected territory by helping with the involvement of local people in its management and conservation.

Posted By: Jozef Bednar on 12th December 2019

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