Renovated tourist information centre opens doors in the Ukrainian Danube Delta

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The renovated Tourist Information Centre of the Danube Biosphere Reserve in Vylkove officially opened doors. The centre has been expanded with new exhibits and equipment. The renovation was part of the project "Climate Proofing the Danube Delta" and was carried out with the assistance of "Caparol Ukraine". The Tourist Information Centre of the Danube Biosphere Reserve first opened doors exactly 14 years ago, on Sept. 1, 2000. Every year, it is visited by about 2,000 tourists,
including many foreigners. It hosts conferences and seminars, student trainings and Danube Youth Club meetings. The centre holds a small local exhibition of stuffed animals that live in the reserve, as well as information materials on the life and nature of the Danube Region. The first visitors to the renewed centre were teachers and 11th grade students of a Vylkove lyceum. Guests at the opening ceremony were Alexander Voloshkevich, Director of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Tatiana Balatskaya, researcher at the Tourist Information Centre Reserve, Katya Kurakina, WWF representative in Ukraine, Alla Solovyova, Director of the lyceum and Marina Yurina, teacher at the lyceum. For the students, there were competitions on knowledge of the Danube and the nature reserve, as well as a movie and a cartoon screening about the Danube and climate change in the region. The restoration of the centre consisted of replacing the roof and painting the walls. The materials for painting were provided by the company "Caparol Ukraine". The Exhibition Fund of the visitor centre was also renewed to include spectacular Danube flora and fauna images by reserve ornithologist Maxim Yakovlev. Also, the new interactive stand "Collect Danube fish!" allows visitors to get acquainted with interesting inhabitants of the Danube through games. Many of these species are protected by Ukrainian law. A modern 3D map of the Danube Biosphere Reserve and the city of Vylkove has become part of the centre decoration. The map is made of glass and metal and highlights different areas of the reserve. Movable flora and fauna figurines are attached to it, as well as a variety of cultural and historical sites of this unique city on the water. The Technical Equipment of the centre is supplemented by a 3D panel where visitors can explore the floodplains, as well as a 3D movie on the region’s nature. Several exhibits on climate change have been prepared for the centre’s visitors - an information stand "Climate Change in the Danube region. Why should I know?" and a photo exhibition consisting of 20 spectacular photographs from the WWF photo gallery. The materials explain what climate change is, why it is happening and how it threatens the world and the region. The most useful information for people living around the Danube is the advice on how to adapt to climate change, how to continue to receive high yields and how to protect against adverse weather. All activities are part of a three-year project "Climate Proofing the Danube Delta” funded by the European Union. The project is implemented in Ukraine by WWF, the Danube Biosphere Reserve and the NGO "Centre for Regional Studies." More information find at http://wwf.panda.org/