«FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD»

NATURE RESERVES AND NATIONAL PARKS 1997-2002:
A SHORT HISTORY OF OUR BULLETIN
(from a report to the grant issuing organization)

The first issue of Nature Reserves and National Parks bulletin was published on October 22, 1993, by Moscow’s Biodiversity Conservation Center. Paid for by the Reserves Program, it was originally called “Newsletter for Nature Reserve Staff”; 100 copies were made with the help of a copy machine. In December 1993, and in January 1994, “Newsletter No. 2 for State Nature Reserve Staff” and “Newsletter No.3 for State Nature Reserve and National Park Staff” appeared in editions of between 100 and 200 copies.

Issues No. 4-23 had the name “Informational Bulletin for State Nature Reserves and National Parks” and were put out in editions of 600 copies. In September 1998, Nature Reserves and National Parks was registered with the Russian State Press Committee as a quarterly bulletin. The bulletin is officially distributed throughout Russia, the CIS and the Baltic States. Circulation increased to 1,000 after registration and has now reached 1,200.

A complete set of all the bulletins can be found at the BCC, at Lenin State Library in Moscow and at the Russian Book Chamber.

Beginning in 1997, the bulletin was published within the framework of Target Â.3.5.1 — Publication of Nature Reserves and National Parks bulletin, part of the Protected Natural Areas GEF Project dedicated to biodiversity conservation in Russia.

During this period 21 issues (Nos.19 to 39) of the bulletin (a total of 19,000 copies) were published. Circulation more than doubled. Beginning with No.26, all issues were proofread. Thus the editorial work involved increased three times and circulation increased four times while financing (per issue) remained roughly the same.

Currently the bulletin publishes important guidelines in the field of conservation and reserve work, recent legislation, news from nature reserves and national parks, information on contests, upcoming conferences and ones that have just taken place, book reviews, etc.

The bulletin has eight regular sections: Current Issues, Charitable Grants, Upcoming Scientific and Conservation Forums, Your Bookshelf and Announcements (100%, i.e., all issues contain these sections); Decision-Making Issues (94%); News for the Scientific Departments of Nature Reserves and Ecological Education (83% each).

Other sections appear less frequently. As soon as the editorial board has received the relevant materials the following sections are published: Conservation in Protected Natural Areas (44%), Previously Published (38%), News from National Parks (33%), and Miscellaneous (55%).

Issues Nos. 19 to 38 contain information on 125 symposiums, conferences, seminars and workshops related to nature conservation, research and protection of biodiversity and landscapes; 65 of these events were international, 22 were national, 38 were regional and interregional. News on grant contests (around 50 articles) announced by 22 charitable funds and other organizations plus information on the results of the contests (over 25 articles) came out regularly as well.

Currently the Bulletin is distributed free of charge to nature reserves and national parks in Russia, the CIS and the Baltic States as well as regional arms of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR); also to branch educational and scientific institutions in Russia and the CIS and to some individual specialists. Thus, Nos. 37 and 38 were mailed to 760 addresses in Russia, 198 addresses in the CIS, and 30 addresses in the Baltic States and beyond. Copies were also given to visitors to the BCC, SEU, WWF and GEF offices and to the MNR.

Since 2001, the bulletin has been available on the BCC website: in both Russian and in English.

Alexey Zimenko,
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei Scherbakov,
Deputy editor-in-chief

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