The author of the beaver photograph is Natasha Golovina. It was with this very shot that my reserve story began...

The tall, straight pines, nicknamed "ship pines," are the most recognizable tree of the reserve.

The beaver is the main and most famous symbol of the reserve. Today the beaver is out of sorts.

"You’re gonna get it!"

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) — a bright blue symbol of the coming spring.

The "Cherepakhinskaya" ecological trail. April.

Sleep-grass (pasqueflower) — Pulsatilla patens.

Life in the reserve just isn’t the same without a cat!

The "Cherepakhinskaya" ecological trail. September.

European spindle (Euonymus europaeus).

"The One Who Sits in the Pond"

Keeper of the Sanctuary’s Tale.