Tatarstan's environmental initiatives: from the revival of falcons to river protection
Today, Tatar-inform News Agency hosted a press conference dedicated to environmental projects implemented by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan in cooperation with the regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society and SIBUR. The event was attended by Olga Manidicheva, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, and Alexander Zhalyuk, Head of Ecology at Kazanorgsintez, Dmitry Shiller, Chairman of the regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society in the Republic of Tatarstan, and Ildar Enaleev, President of the Russian Falcon Union.
The revival of the Volga-Kama Saker Falcon population
Olga Manidicheva, Deputy Minister of Ecology of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke about the success of the project to revive the Volga-Kama Saker Falcon population. "This year, the novelty was that two chicks were born in Tatarstan," she said. "Adult birds have been fully rehabilitated into our natural ecosystem." The Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, personally supported the project by announcing a contest for names for Tatarstan chicks. According to the results of the voting, the falcons were named Alga and Timer.
According to Ildar Yenaleev, for the first time in the history of Russian ornithology, Tatarstan sakers were equipped with GPS trackers to monitor their movements. In particular, a male named Timer surprised scientists by immediately covering a distance of 8 km to the left bank of the Volga.
Dmitry Shiller noted: "We will fully see the success of the project when the birds begin to nest in their natural environment. In 3 years, 24 chicks have been released, and for 2026 we have ambitious plans to release 20 chicks," said the chairman of the regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society.
The Free Current Project
The Free Current project, which has been implemented since 2023, is aimed at clearing rubble on the Kazanka River. "To date, the hydrological capacity of the water body has been improved by 67%, which contributes to improving the river flow rate and oxygen supply of the water mass," Olga Manidicheva emphasized.
Dmitry Shiller said that the project originated after a large-scale geographical study in 2022 on the catchment area of the Kazanka River and its tributaries. "Over the three years of the project, we have dismantled 71 rubble and collected 800 bags of plastic garbage," he said.
A new project for the reconstruction of forest strips along the Kazanka River
On October 10, a new pilot project for the reconstruction of forest plantations along the Kazanka River will start. It is implemented by the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Tatarstan with the support of SIBUR in close cooperation with the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan. The project is a logical continuation of the extensive research work on eco-rehabilitation of water bodies, which has been carried out by the Ministry of Ecology since 2022.
Alexander Zhalyuk emphasized the uniqueness of the project: "This is the first project aimed not only at preserving water bodies, but also at reforestation, a symbiosis that allows improving the economic and environmental aspects of the region." As part of the project, 4.18 hectares of land will be planted in the Arsky district with 8000 seedlings of oak and spruce.
According to Olga Manidicheva, the project solves both environmental problems by detaining pollutants that enter the river with diffuse runoff, and prevents the development of erosion processes.
The pilot project for the reconstruction of forest strips is of federal importance, as the methods developed during its implementation will become the basis for a large-scale program to improve the condition of rivers in all regions of Russia within the framework of the national project "Ecological well-being".
The Snow Leopard Children's Drawing Contest
Olga Manidicheva also announced a contest of drawings and crafts dedicated to the snow leopard. The competition started on October 1 and is timed to coincide with the International Snow Leopard Day, which is celebrated on October 23. "The main prize for our participants will be a trip to the Snow Leopard Center in Altai," the deputy minister said.
The competition is held in three age categories: junior (grades 1-4), middle (grades 5-9) and senior (grades 10-11). Applications and works will be accepted until October 17, and the winners will be awarded on October 23.