Recently, the Director of the Educational-Scientific Institute of Natural and Agrarian Sciences at Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, Maksym Havryliuk, took part in a training course held in Finland as a member of the Ukrainian delegation from the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture.

European integration is a strategic priority of Ukraine’s foreign policy. This path envisages fundamental changes, including in the field of environmental monitoring. In the European Union, the Birds and Habitats Directives are among the key regulatory documents in this area, and each member state reports on their implementation every five years.

Experts from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) presented practical experience in biodiversity monitoring, data collection and analysis, assessment of the condition of fauna, flora and habitats, as well as the preparation of reports in accordance with EU requirements. During the training, special attention was paid to the methods of data collection and the completion of reporting forms for various taxonomic groups.

The experience gained is an important step towards the implementation of European standards for biodiversity research in Ukraine, as the experts involved in the training have now acquired the knowledge necessary to apply the Birds and Habitats Directives in Ukraine.

Most of the training took place at the Biological Station of the University of Helsinki. The participants had the opportunity to gain practical experience in field-based bird monitoring together with their Finnish colleagues. For Maksym Havryliuk, it was also an opportunity to learn about the specifics of organising practical training for future biologists and ecologists, as well as the way scientific research is conducted at the University of Helsinki’s Biological Station.

The Educational-Scientific Institute of Natural and Agrarian Sciences