Guests of the National Centre RUSSIA learned how to help the environment and wildlife

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As part of the exclusive program "Thursday. Development," the National Centre RUSSIA hosted an educational event titled "Zoo World: Animals and Us" on March 13. The event focused on pressing issues of environmental and wildlife protection. Experts spoke to the guests of the National Centre RUSSIA about the relationship between humans and nature and invited them to reflect on how each person can contribute to making the planet a better place for all its inhabitants.

Acting Director of the Losiny Ostrov National Park, Olga Shulgina, spoke about the role of specially protected natural areas in the preservation of wildlife and explained what city residents can do to help maintain biodiversity.

"In order to preserve biodiversity, we conduct various activities, including scientific research, environmental education, territorial protection, and even educational tourism. For example, our 'Deer Trail' is very popular — while walking along it, people also experience different textures underfoot, which provides a great foot massage and amazing therapy. I believe that simply establishing specially protected natural areas like our National Park is already a tremendous contribution to biodiversity conservation. And anyone can help us in this effort — for instance, by joining our volunteer program," said Olga Shulgina. 

Methodologist of the Scientific and Methodological Department of the world's oldest Moscow Zoo, Nikolai Karpov, emphasized the importance of zoos in preserving rare animal species. He also noted that the Moscow Zoo houses the largest animal collection in the world, with 1,253 species.

"The biodiversity of our planet is extremely fragile, and the loss of even a single, seemingly insignificant species can trigger a domino effect with unpredictable consequences. That is why zoos around the world not only introduce visitors to various forms of living organisms but also implement conservation programs. Thanks to these programs, many animals bred in zoos are later reintroduced into the wild. As a result, zoos help ensure that many species are not lost forever," stressed Nikolai Karpov.

The project manager for training and development at the Four Paws Foundation, veterinarian Artem Demin, noted that last year alone, the foundation managed to collect over 128,500 kg of dry and wet pet food and more than 47,000 veterinary medications for 158 shelters housing cats and dogs. Using the example of caring for companion animals, he explained that the fate of nature and the animal world depends on each of us. 

"The number of domestic animals is growing every year, and our task is to ensure that as few animals as possible remain on the streets. And your task is to understand that a pet is a full-fledged family member with its own habits, character, and needs. If you are not ready for this, it is better not to get a pet yet. So let’s start with ourselves — let’s not abandon our pets, and then everything will be just fine," Artem Demin addressed the audience.

The educational event "Zoo World: Animals and Us" was organized in partnership with the Russian society Znanie, the Moscow Zoo, the Losiny Ostrov National Park, and the Four Paws pet store chain.

The National Centre RUSSIA’s exclusive program, "Thursday. Development," offers engaging meetings with experts from various fields who share insights into their work, present achievements, provide professional advice and recommendations useful to a broad audience, and answer questions from attendees. These events foster discussions, broaden perspectives, and encourage collaborative exploration of effective solutions to industry challenges.

Registration for the "Thursday. Development" program is free. Up-to-date information can be found on the National Centre RUSSIA website, russia.ru, in the "Events" section.