“Denezhkin Kamen” Preserve Nature School” is an ecological education project, that combines workshops, one-day field trips, and lectures. “Denezhkin Kamen” Federal Nature Preserve runs it from 2004, several time a year.
The streamline of all Nature School’s activities is the role of humans in Nature, the values of different ecosystems and main factors influencing their development.

“Denezhkin Kamen” Preserve Nature School is in the village Vsevolodo-Blagodatskoe, 50 km north of the town Severouralsk, in the north of Sverdlovskaya oblast, Russia. The village is located 25 km from the “Denezhkin Kamen” Federal Nature Preserve (Zapovednik). Vsevolodo-Blagodatskoe is a small settlement surrounded by forests with different land use history and peat bogs. There is a small convenient store, a post office, a medical point in the village. There is a public bus to the village 3 times a day.

Target

The Nature School’s total capacity is currently 12-25 people. For us is not very convenient to work with less than 12 participants. It is recommended that the students are either specialized in nature history\biology\geography, or highly motivated. We do not encourage bringing along kids who just want to hang out. During the lectures and field trips the Nature students are divided in groups of 7-8. We require one guest adult in each children group, in addition to the “Denezhkin Kamen” instructor.
Organized school groups, ages 12-17. We require 1 adult per 5 kids in school groups.
Adult groups, tourist guides, journalists.
Family groups.

Timing

“Denezhkin Kamen” Preserve Nature School” is active throughout a year. The study objects and emphasis vary depending on the season.
One Nature School’s usual cycle lasts 5 days. There are two long sets of talks from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00. Evenings are devoted to different workshops and entertainment events that usually start around 19:00. During the Nature School’s usual cycle students are encouraged to compile several short projects, which they defend on the last Nature School’s day. The students that take more than one Nature School’s cycle are offered a different level each time.
Upon requests there might be 2- and 3-day Nature Schools, less demanded and intense.

Accommodation.

The students groups are provided very simple housing, with bunk beds, wood stove and electricity. There is no running water in the facility. The students must supply themselves with water (from the well), bedding (sleeping bags or personal bedding), personal cookware and food (bring along and cook themselves). The toilet is a wooden outhouse. The preserve supplies firewood for heat, water buckets and tanks, groups cookware (pots).
Unfortunately, currently we are not able to provide fancy housing conditions. We, ourselves, are not at all happy with the housing conditions and we apologize, but for now that’s all we have.

Classes.

There are two big warm classrooms with tables, internet and media facilities, and a big hall for evening workshops. There are 6-7 instructors in the preserve staff.
Available courses
1. Basic practical geography, compass, maps.
2. Basic satellite imagery tools and their use in nature studies.
3. Grasslands. The factors that form certain types of grassland.
4. Peat bogs, their formation, ecology, and values.
5. Northern taiga forest types and the forest succession.
6. Forest invertebrates, where and how they live.
7. The winter life of vertebrates in the forests, the role of snow cover.
8. The system of nature protecting territories of Russia and its history. Preserves, or zapovedniks.
Workshops
1. Dangers of the Northern forests, basic safety rules.
2. Field gear and equipment
3. What exactly is a “conscious nature user”, the general nature-use rules in Russia.
4. “Inspectaium”, board game simulating a “Denezhkin Kamen” forest ranger work.
There are several more unlisted entertaining activities in the thrift-box of our Nature School. The guest leaders of the Nature School’s students are welcome to also lead or propose activities that can enhance the Nature School’s routine. We are always open to new ideas.

All the Nature School’s rules and logistics are accurately listed in the “Denezhkin Kamen” Preserve Nature School” Statement (Russian), which is required to be read by all participants.

Nature school map

Карта сокровищ

A movie about the school