Ecopark "Kachkarsky Mar" (Kachkarka)

Ecopark "Kachkarsky Mar" is an urban forest park in the Leninsky District of Orenburg, near the settlement of Rostoshi, bounded by Zagorodnoye Highway, Tselinnaya Street, Kostyukov Street and Gazpromovskaya Street. The park's colloquial name, Kachkarka, comes from Mount Kachkarka, which lies within its grounds.

History

The park's history began in 1952 with the mass planting of trees in the area. The forest park once covered about 600 hectares, but over the past decade it has shrunk by roughly 150 hectares to about 420 hectares today; ecologists and activists link this to the development of the land.

In 2018, activists from the regional branch of the All-Russian Popular Front in Orenburg Oblast proposed expanding the green forest-park belt around the regional center and developing a sports and recreation area within Kachkarsky Mar. A round table was held to discuss creating a "Green Shield" — a specially protected zone — in the city; the main goal was to include the park in the federal program "Development of Physical Culture and Sport in the Russian Federation for 2016–2020."

In late August 2022 a major wildfire broke out in the park: the blaze, which started on August 31, was fought by 149 people and 50 pieces of equipment and was only put out on September 2, having burned through more than 100 hectares.

Nature

Scots pine, green ash, Siberian elm, silver birch, box elder and Siberian larch predominate in the park.

Sport and recreation

In summer the park hosts orienteering competitions, and in winter cross-country skiing races: in 2018 these drew a record 221 athletes from municipalities across the region. In January 2016 a lit ski trail with restrooms and benches was opened in the park. The park remains a popular recreation spot: about 3,000 people come here to walk on weekends, and around 30,000 residents of Orenburg visit during the New Year holidays.

What to know

Cases of unauthorized dumping of garbage and construction waste have been found on the park's grounds, and the pond within it is also polluted — the park needs a clean-up. City authorities have considered improvement plans: clearing the forest of deadwood, ski-and-roller trails, family recreation areas and new access roads, but the work has dragged on for years.