“If at least a minimum of nature is not preserved then the delicate balance of natural processes would go head over heels and we would all cry bitter tears. They seem to understand this in the Donetsk Oblast.”

Byk but less than 200 are now left. The others have been stolen to deco- rate rich private houses. Fortunately no one has yet invented a way of stealing the local steppe itself, for otherwise that too would have gone!

White on blue Blue is definitely the colour of the sea. So what if it is shallow and bare- ly salty! The white spits of the Azov Sea are nevertheless the favourite breeding grounds for hundreds of thousands of birds. After my visit to the Meotida regional landscape

park I was absolutely sure that this bird haven has been preserved as a result of the devoted efforts of the park specialists.

Looking through binoculars at the great black-headed gull (which is on the Red List of Threatened Species), sea gulls, terns and the clumsy gi- ant pelican I thought that bird lov- ers from rich and civilized countries would pay a lot to see this spectacle. However, commerce is not the main task of such parks. Their main func- tion is the protection of birds, sand spits and the shellfish of the coastal zone. If at least a minimum of na- ture is not preserved then the deli- cate balance of natural processes would go head over heels and we would all cry bitter tears. But it would be too late. They seem to un- derstand this in the Donetsk Oblast.

But I have to add a small spoon of tar to this barrel of nature-conservation honey to keep local naturalists on their toes. Not all the valuable areas

of nature are protected by law. Docu- ments making a scientific case for the establishment of nature reserves on six areas of steppe land were pre- sented to the State Agency for Nature Protection three years ago. A public organization, the Kyiv Environmen- tal and Cultural Centre, produced the proposals free of charge. The Oblast also has other potential opportuni- ties for nature conservation.

But still, I would like to finish on a positive note. At the moment, the network of protected natural areas covers more than 3 per cent of the total territory of the Oblast. Pro- tected areas occupy four times the area they did 12 years ago. Maybe 3 per cent is not a huge area as the average indicator for Ukraine as a whole is about 5 per cent, but a spe-

“Protected areas occupy four times the area they did 12 years ago.”

cial state security agency watches over 85 per cent of these protected areas, a much higher proportion than the average for Ukraine.

“Time demands further actions on our behalf”, the Governor and the Head of the Donetsk Oblast Council said recently. “We need to improve the management of the territories and facilities of the nature protection fund; ensure protection of valuable natural landscapes using environ- mental education and economic le- vers and develop the infrastructure.”

It is obvious that expansion and con- servation of the nature and reserve fund of the Oblast requires the joint efforts of the local executive bodies, local self-governance authorities, nature protection authorities and the general public. There is no need to persuade anybody that such joint action is necessary. At the moment the level of common responsibility for nature and hence for our future life depends on everyone.

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