Bears-only SPA. A new nature observation season has begun in the Valley of Geysers
04.04.2022
State inspectors and volunteers of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve are preparing for the field and tourist seasons in the soaring gorge of the mountain river. They now start to prepare the cordon in one of the main points of attraction for tourists in Kamchatka. State inspectors and volunteers alternate household chores with animal observations.The Valley of Geysers is the smallest of the major geyser fields in the world, yet it has the highest geysers concentration. It is probably the most renowned unique natural object of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. Geysers there gush all year round, red mud boilers boil, dozens of fumarole jets release their steam.
However, it is not safe for people to come there in winter: probability of avalanches gets very high. Deconservation and preparation of the cordon for tourists and scientists reception begin in April, after the end of snow cyclones season.
"In the next few months, together with colleagues and volunteers, we will have to clear the snow from the trails and equip them with information stands, maybe repair some infrastructure facilities damaged by snow, wind or animals. We will also be monitoring natural processes in the valley. There has been quite a lot of snow this year, there is a snow cover of about 3-5 meters on the cordon. But this is a common thing for the region," said Leonty Podstavin, inspector of the Kronotsky Reserve.
When not busy with household chores, the reserve's employees monitor natural processes and animals. In the Valley of Geysers, spring comes earlier than in the rest of Kamchatka. Here you can already see the first green, and birds begin to nest. The first bear that appeared in the green oasis on the thermal grounds of the Valley was seen and captured on April 1 by state inspector Liana Varavskaya. Liana is widely known to many nature lovers for her stories about bears published in her social media.
"After working for 6 years in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, I found myself in the Valley of Geysers for the first time. It was so fascinating to meet the first bear here, among all this surrounding beauty! That day in the morning I saw the footprints and knew that a bear had descended into the Valley. And then I saw it! The bear stretched out in his sleep on the warm ground. Fortunately it was not disturbed by my drone flying nearby, because the drone noise was concealed by the Geyser River," Liana said.
Also, the Kronotsky Reserve scientists will soon begin monitoring the Valley of Geysers wildlife. The condition of natural complexes is constantly looked after here, which allows to determine how many tourists may visit the Valley without harm to nature.
