Ust-Mesmerising and Nizhnehopersky Nature Parks

This was our last trip out to the field, it was great to have everyone out together again. 
4/23

We started in Ust-Medveditsky which is north east of Volgograd. Historically this region was Kazakh inhabited. It used to be a very large town with many citizens and was known in the region for have 20 educational buildings, which was a great deal for the time and region. Then the town was taken over by Bolsheviks and the Kazakhsks were removed from this region. It was an interesting because no Kazakh people live here currently but the people  of the village say the spirit of the Kazakhs lives in their in memory.

Here is our group in front of a statue that honors the Kazakhs of this region

We also got to visit a convent that is famous in the region. It was a gorgeous church, I could only take pictures from the outside because you can not take pictures of the icons insided.

The women have to cover their heads and wear skirts

It was originally founded in the 1600's and  rebuilt twice. It has a underground cave system that was used in their worship. The icons painted on the inside are so beautiful and colorful it is truly amazing.

This area was greatly geographically influenced by the last ice age as it was the lowest point of the massive glacier. It has desert, steep and forest all here within one region.It also has two major rivers the Don and the Nizhnehopersky which feeds the Don.

Red soil is a deposit from the ice age 

Then we hit plant  geek heaven in the middle of this unique landscape!

Pulsatilla pratensis 

 Iris pumila

The yellow form

I was geeking out so hard in this place, I probablly took pictures of these Iris for half an hour

Purple form

They are just so beautiful and seeing the growing in nature is something amazing

Pulsatilla patens

Absolutely beautiful they were all along this hillside 

I could not get enough of them

I will never forget this place

Fritillaria ruthenica

Underground springs make all this amazing plants possible in this drier area. 

After dragging me away, we headed to the other side of the Nizhnehopersky River to Nizhnehopersky Nature Park where we stayed in one of the research stations up there.

One of our colleagues called in a chalet which I thought was appropriate. 

4/24

We started our last full day on the expedition with small hike around the reaserch station where we found one of the species from the Red Data Book. 

Hedysarum grandifolium

Then we headed to a lower areas and found a clearing with some really interesting plants.

Sempervivum ruthenicum

Scilla sibrica 

We took a picnic lunch by a under ground stream feed creek. 

Then we climbed some creatous hills. The landscape is quite interesting and really dramatic when you are in the middle of it.

Potentilla 

Astragalus

After climbing we decided to take a rest

We made one last stop in our last to see some Paeonia tenuifolia growing in the wild. 

4/25 

We said goodbye to part of our group in the morning as they made there way back home, it was a hard goodbye but we all enjoyed the expedition together. 

The rest of us packed up and made our way back to Volgograd. We made some botnanical stops along the way. 

They showed us

Pedicularis dasystachys which is being monitored to potentially be put in the Red Data Book

At our second stop we saw some Quercus robur

They said they are almost 500 years old 

They are probablly the biggest trees we have seen the whole trip

We went to some more creatous hills with Juniperus sabina in the Red Data Book

Luba taking a break

We also saw this little guy who we made quite angry.

Jim at the top

We finally made it back to Volgograd and we were invited to have dinner at Oleg's brothers dacha. Many Russians live and work in the city but have summer/weekend homes called dachas. They are usually located out in the contry and have small garden plots. Oleg's brother and his family were extremely generous and I was so happy to meet some of Oleg's family. 

Tomorrow we leave for Moscow to see Moscow Main Botanical Garden and then head home. 

I am leaving Volgograd so amazed at the things I saw and all the people I have meet. We had such an amazing time and have made so many new friends who I will miss very much.