Muraviovka Park for Sustainable Land Use Amur Region, Russia (Click on any image to enlarge)

In February 2009, I plan to begin work at Muraviovka Park for Sustainable Land Use as a resident biologist.  Muraviovka Park is located in far eastern Russia in the Amur river valley.  It is located just miles from the border with China (Navigate map to the right to view location).       The park is roughly 13,000 acres of wet meadows, marshes, and mixed deciduous forest (See photos below). The summer months are hot, humid, and sunny while the winter as you can imagine (it is in Siberia) are bitterly cold.  Despite the bitterly cold weather it apparently remains sunny with little snow cover during the winter months.

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The park owes its existence to the persistent hard work of the Russian biologist, Dr. Sergei Smerenski, my soon to be colleague.  Dr. Smerenski created the park in part to conserve several species of cranes (several pictured below).  The cranes migrate into the region in spring and use the park to breed.  Part of my research while at the park will be to study the breeding activities of these birds and how current land practices are affecting their breeding success.

Photos demonstrating the typical landscape of Muraviovka Park

Images of several crane species that utilize the park for breeding and migration; siberian crane, red-crowned crane, hooded crane, and the white-naped crane.

Several images of the living quarters at Muraviovka Park.

To find out more about Muraviovka Park for Sustainable Land Use  - Click on the following three links:         Muraviovka Park             Friends of Muraviovka Park          International Crane Foundation

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