ACTION “FROM THE EGG TO THE FLIGHT"
STARTED IN THE OKA RESERVE
ON THE PARKS MARCH on 16 APRIL, 2008 An environmental education action “From the egg to the flight” started on April, 16, in the days of conducting of traditional March for Parks in the Oka State Biosphere Reserve (OSBR).

Action is conducted within the framework of UNEP-GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project during 2008. Internet cranes observation will allow people all over the world to be introduced to private life of birds, to see the events proceeding in the siberian cranes family - from the moment of nest building to the instruction of flight of the grown nestlings.

Video materials almost in initial form will be published on the site of “Birds and People” Birding club www.birder.ru, which will be also used for positioning of other project materials.

The day before, on April, 15, in the Crane Nursery OSBR security camera was established in the cage, where siberian cranes live. It transmits information to the computer. Record began, and the next day, early in the morning on April, 16 siberian crane mother laid an egg!

Holiday began at 10 in the morning with the appearance of the students of Lakash, Izhevsk and Spassk schools, which read poetry about the native Ryazan area. Summarizing the results of the competitions of nature-conservation picture, slogan and compositions, Marina Didorchuk, OSBR deputy director for environmental education and consultant of the UNEP-GEF project on the coordination of action “From the egg to the flight”, reward the winners and presented OUR ACTION.

Tatiana Kashentseva, the director of Crane Nursery, described siberian cranes’ life in nature and in captivity, told about the distant Siberian and Yakutian swamps, where cranes hatch and breed their only nestling. Tatiana answered the questions of "pressmen" - pupils, who prepared questions about siberian cranes and about the scientific significance of the action.

Julia Gorelova, National Project Manager for Russia, told about project itself, its measures in Yakutia and West Siberia, nature-conservation aspects of cranes observation in captivity, and also about new program of school-monitoring, which started with the support of the Project.

“International Crane Foundation, - said Julia, - considers the action “From the egg to the flight” as one of the most effective tools of attracting attention to problems of siberian crane as a globally threatened specie protection”.

Announcement about appearance of siberian crane egg early in the morning was greeted with cheers!

Holiday was finished with the concert, where a lot of songs about nature were sung. One of them was the famous one about the cranes, composed by local resident and became the present hymn of Oka Reserve.

More than 100 people took part in the holiday. Between them were teachers and students of surrounding schools. At the end of holiday the representatives of the Project, Technical Manager - Aleksey Blagovidov, and consultant for the development - Alena Fateyeva, together with reserve staff, that are responsible for measure, visited Nursery and were introduced to siberian cranes, which will be our Internet-heroes during next six months.