The Wildlife Conservation journal held a meeting at the John D.
and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Moscow on November 9, 2001. The
meeting was attended by senior officials and specialists from the Russian
Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as by nature reserve staff, editors
of several popular scientific journals (Okhota i Okhotniche Khozyaistvo,
Znanie – Sila, and Severnye Prostori), scientists, high school
teachers, directors and representatives of several international charitable
foundations and of various environmental and conservation organizations.
Participants heard reports by International Independent University of Ecology
and Political Science Professor V.V. Dyezhkin; Okhota i Okhotniche Khosyaistvo
Editor O.K. Gusev; Znanie – Sila Editor I.V. Pruss; Director of the
WWF’s Russian Office E.A. Shvarts; Director of the John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation’s Russian Office T.D. Zhdanova; journalist V.M.
Peskov; and Advisor to the Head of the Karelian Government E.V. Ivanter.
The speakers emphasized the journal’s role in promoting nature conservation
and its importance to PNA personnel, universities and NGOs. They evaluated
the journal’s performance in recent years and offered advice for the future.
The authors of the journal’s best articles were presented with souvenirs: V. Spiridonov, WWF Russian Office (for Whaling Drama: The Finale or A New Act?); A. Tsetlin, Biology Faculty of Moscow State University (for The Future of TraditionalResource Use on the White Sea: Poaching or Resource Self-Management?); and A. Vlasov and O. Vlasova, Tesentralno-Chernozemny Reserve (for Return of the Steppe Adder). Presents also went to those artists (or their heir), who allowed the journal to publish their pictures free of charge: V.A. Gorbatov and E.V. Zubchaninova, widow of V.M. Smirin. Felix R. Shtilmark, the very productive editor of the journal’s Historical Pages, was singled out for special commendation.
A. V. Scherbakov, Biodiversity Conservation Center
