Losiny Ostrov National Park
Losiny Ostrov - the national park of Russia, is also one of the most initial parks in Russia. The first mention of him dates back to 1406. The park covers an area of 116 km2, being the largest forest near Moscow. The relief in Losinj Island is hilly with altitude drops from 146 meters to 175.
2 rivers flow in the park: Pechorka and Yauza. The channel of the latter changed significantly during the extraction of peat deposits in the 1950-1970s. The park has several ponds: Alekseevsky, Golyanovsky, Kazyonny and others. A fairly substantial part of the park are swamps. Of particular importance is the Upper Yauzsky wetland complex with an area of about 10 km2. In general, the area is quite picturesque.
Since ancient times, the lands of the Elk Island have been chosen for hunting by kings and princes. After the transfer of land in 1779, the first topographic survey of land would be carried out to the treasury department. It was decided to mark the forest on quarters. The first forestry arose only in 1842. Since 1844, artificial forest plantations began to plant, mainly pine trees. In 1909, the first idea was put forward to establish a national park. The forests of the Elk Island provided invaluable service during the Great Patriotic War.
The flora and fauna of the park is quite diverse, more than 5000 species of plants grow in forests. Trees occupy more than 80% of the park, of the trees mainly birch trees ( 46% ), pine trees ( 22% ) spruce (, linden ) 13% (. In forests you can find such rare plant species as: lily of the valley, European swimsuit, green flower skirt, real nesting and. The Elk Island has more than 230 species of animals, including more than 160 species of birds. According to the employees of the maintenance and improvement service of the national park, in early 2013, 70 moose, 300 spotted deer, 200 boars, 300 birds with one stone lived in the Losinj Island. Loshiny Island Park also has the Loshinoostrovsky Forestry Manor, which houses the park’s visit center, and an environmental education museum. In the park, archaeologists discovered the oldest barrow barns. The findings confirmed the assumption of historians and archaeologists that the Slavs-Nyatich lived in the park in the 11th to 13th centuries, then merging with other East Slavic peoples into the great Russian nation. Near the eco-center there are sightseeing paths. You can use the services of a guide, or go yourself. During the trip along the trail, you can learn about the life of our ancestors - Slavs-Nyatic.
In the center you can relax after excursions, drink some tea, watch a film about nature reserves, listen to lectures on ecology. For children there are various seasonal entertainment programs. riding routes are also laid in the park.
