Cheremskyi
The Cheremskyi Nature Reserve is a unique place of immense ecological and scientific value, home to a rich diversity of rare species that live amongst a variety of ecosystems, including forests (covering 60.8% of the reserve), marshes (37.2%), and lakes and rivers (0.6%).
The reserve is home to one of the largest sphagnum bogs in Ukraine, ancient wetlands that play a critical role in regulating the climate and water balance. Bogs and marshes are shaped by the region’s glacial landscapes, that are today home to unique plant communities that have remained largely unchanged for thousands of years.
The reserve’s flora includes more than 500 species of vascular plants, including 12 Ukraine Red Book-listed species. The symbol of the reserve is Scheuchzeria palustris, a relict plant that connects to the marsh’s glacial origins. Other rare species include the English sundew, the two-leaved lovage, and the summer snowflake.
The Cheremskyi Nature Reserve’s fauna is also rich and diverse, with 16 species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)Red List, including river otter, European mink, beaver, white-eyed duck, reed warbler, golden plover, crested newt and Yellow-bellied toad.
Since russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) has been supporting the Cheremskyi Nature Reserve with partial coverage of operational costs. The FZS also systematically supports biomonitoring, in particular by providing camera traps and equipment for monitoring birdlife.