Young researchers proposed new formats of scientific volunteering on Solovki

Participants of the Solovetsky School of Young Scientists “Okoyom” developed initiatives to attract volunteers to study and preserve the natural heritage of the archipelago. They studied the possibilities of the museum-reserve, the ecological path to Cape Beluzhii, the observation archives and the local school to determine the directions of volunteer assistance to scientists.

“Scientific volunteering allows you to combine the efforts of researchers, the museum-reserve and volunteers to study the natural heritage of Solovki,” said Yuri Marich, head of the Agency for Youth Affairs of the Arkhangelsk region. The proposed initiatives will help expand the collection of scientific data and involve residents and guests of the archipelago.

Key proposals:

Observation of the animal world is the creation of a special bot through which volunteers will be able to transfer photos of animals with coordinates and descriptions. The data will form the basis of the geoinformation system for bioecological research on the basis of NAFU and Murmansk Arctic University.

The study of seasonal changes is the organization of a phenological route with observation points on the trail to Cape Belugi, where volunteers will record the flowering of plants, the arrival of birds, the appearance of insects and other phenomena. The data will be compared with the archives of the museum to analyze climate change.

Involvement of schoolchildren is the preparation of educational and methodological sets that adapt the research tasks of the museum-reserve to the age of children, so that schoolchildren get experience in project work and get acquainted with scientific professions.

Ecological monitoring of the Big Solovetsky Island is the collection of samples near the objects of economic activity after briefing and transfer of samples to university laboratories to expand data on the state of the environment.

To develop these areas, the participants noted the need for a unified methodology for organizing scientific volunteering - with the procedure for selecting and training volunteers, security requirements, forms of reporting and data transfer. Remote participation is also provided: decryption of archival records, processing of photo and video materials.

The full-time stage of the school “Okoyom” was held from August 22 to September 1, 2026 and brought together 50 young researchers, students and schoolchildren from 12 regions of Russia. Now the program continues in the format of post-support: participants finalize projects and present the results at the final defense in November.