The first Tatarstan’s ornithological route to open on Lake Kaban in Kazan

Today, the first ornithological route in Tatarstan was opened on Lake Kaban. It will include six viewpoints with binoculars, audio guides with a library of bird singing sounds, a feeding device and navigation. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of the city, and Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank, accompanied by Sofia Khokhlachyova, an ornithologist and a member of the Russian Union for the Birds Protection, as well as schoolchildren from the City Children's Ecological and Biological Center, attended the route.

Aigul Latypova, head of the Directorate of Parks and Squares of the city, met the visitors and thanked Sberbank for supporting the initiative to implement the project. A.Latypova noted that such routes are available in the territories of specially protected natural zones of the country, but the first in the urban environment.

According to the Mayor of Kazan, the city improvement program pays great attention to the organization of a green ecological framework. Alexander Vedyakhin called Kazan one of the most beautiful cities in Russia and admired the improvement of the city embankment.

“Of course, we are happy to develop this ecological project together, where schoolchildren and adults can see what the birds around them look like. It's great that we can help people see this beauty. In general, about 20 routes and trails will open in Tatarstan, and with the support of our partner 2Gis they will be mapped,”- he said.

Sofia Khokhlachyova said that there is a wide variety of birds on Lake Kaban: reed warbler, coot, eared owl, hissing swan, mallard, gray heron - a total of 20 species.

“The idea of creation such a route appeared not accidentally – we received a request from residents and guests of Kazan. People are interested in exploring the birds around. We studied birds by systematic observation, during which we recorded the species and number of birds, their status – nesting or migratory,”- she said.

The stands with photos and information about the birds are located along the route.

“There is an information about the birds and how to take care of them, because the route also runs through nesting sites. People can scare birds, therefore, measures are prescribed that a person can take in order not to harm the birds. The route will be particularly interesting from April to October,”- S. Khokhlacheva said.

The Mayor of Kazan noted that the project will be implemented together with schoolchildren of the Children's Ecological and Biological Center. Ilsur Metshin talked to them and learned about their impressions. Young ornithologist Artur Degtyarev told the head of the city that on the route they met a mallard, a large grebe, a river tern, a lake gull and heard a reed warbler.

When developing the embankment of Lake Kaban, great attention was paid to the careful attitude to the flora and fauna. The concreting of the shores was abandoned, and pedestrian paths were laid over the water. More than 12 thousand plants were planted along the lake, including shrubs and trees – willows, reeds, apple trees and other species. For double cleaning of the lake with the help of plants and stones, 17 cascades were made for lake self-purification.