Stavropol territory > Manych lake

Manych lake

Lest we forget the benevolent main aim of the project, an investment in the ecopark is more than an obvious opportunity to turn a profit. It is an investment in the preservation of the lake and surrounding area’s irreplaceable biodiversity. Manych-Goudilo is the only project in Russia which allows visitors to observe and study steppe wildlife in its natural habitat. Stavropol Region Government’s project allows for a raff of environmental and biotechnical protection measures. First and foremost, that means defending wildlife and its habitat, undertaking work to optimise the interaction between park guests and living nature, building special viewing platforms and hides for photographing birds and animals, and laying vehicle and foot paths.

Today it is possible to state with certainty that, with with help of the Stavropol authorities and business community, investors, scientists and specialist ecologists, an essentially newly-reopened tourist attraction will appear. There is every chance of it ranking alongside such famous natural monuments as Lake Baikal and the Kamchatka Peninsula, and it will enable us to develop ecotour- ism while preserving our country’s golden environmental inheritance. tinues to gather momentum. Quite a few famous people can be found in the ranks of birdwatchers- Prince Charles, A1 Gore and Bill Gates to name but a few. Millions of them are prepared to travel quite literally to the ends of the Earth should a rare species appear there. In one well-known case the Great Spotted Woodpecker, commonplace in Eurasia, was spotted in Alaska and sparked a hitherto unimaginable ornithological pilgrimage to the states largest city, Anchorage. The property where the bird had set up home ended up playing host to thousands of American and foreign birdwatchers.

The hobby has long had a commercial footing in the outside world. For instance, in Europe there are hundreds of firms specialising in birdwatching tours. Many previously forgotten corners of the planet have become centres of ornithological tourism. Specialists estimate that the average American birdwatcher spends $5000 per year on his hobby, and this promising area of tourism makes an annual contribution to the US economy of around $100 billion. Food for thought for anyone considering investing in Manych.