On September 22, Minsk /BelTA correspondent/. The first republican ecological festival "Cranes and Cranberries of Miory Region" will be held in Miory (Vitebsk region) on September 30, the UN Department of Public Information in Belarus informed BelTA. The festival is held with the aim of drawing attention to the uniqueness of the Yelnya bog, as well as for the development of ecotourism in the area. The time and place of the celebration were not chosen by chance: at the end of September, more than 4,000 grey cranes and 10,000 geese stop to rest on this bog during their autumn migration. In addition, the cranberry harvesting season begins at this time, and the Yelnya bog ranks first in the country in terms of its cranberry reserves. Professional ornithologists will conduct excursions to the places where migratory birds feed during the day. Anyone can observe flocks of cranes. Spectators will also be able to participate in environmental games and quizzes, taste cranberry juice and cranberry pastries, and purchase souvenirs at the fair of local folk craftsmen. A homestead competition and a thematic photo exhibition will be held. Representatives of the UNDP, the European Union, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, diplomatic missions, and local administration will take part in the festival. The event is organised by the EU and UNDP project "Assistance in the Development of a Comprehensive Framework for International Cooperation in Environmental Protection in the Republic of Belarus" in conjunction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Miory District Executive Committee, and the public association "Aхова птушак Бацькаўшчыны" (BirdLife Belarus) with the assistance of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of Belarus. The festival is planned to be held annually.-0-

BELTA