Lake Baikal - one of the most unique places on our planet

The modern idea of creating a trail around Lake Baikal was born, as it was supposed to be, on the shore of Lake Baikal. At this time, the "Bed and Breakfast and Baikal" project was being implemented on Lake Baikal as part of the US Agency for International Development (US AID) ROLL project. Until that time, the idea of creating the Circum-Baikal Trail has been expressed more than once. In particular, Oleg Kirillovich Gusev spoke about her - a famous writer, photographer, scientist who worked in the Barguzinsky Reserve for more than 30 years and was the initiator of the creation of the Baikal-Lensky Reserve. After visiting the Appalachian Trail in the United States, Oleg Kirillovich realized that the creation of a system of trails on Lake Baikal could help protect him. Irkutsk tourist and writer Valentin Bryanskiy also, starting from the 70s, promoted the idea of creating a ring trail around Lake Baikal.

The idea is simple - the created network of private micro-hotels will receive its tourists if it is connected by a trail around Lake Baikal.

The project was presented at international exhibitions in Scotland, Holland. At a workshop of representatives of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ulan-Ude.

In April, the project was presented at the international congress on ecotourism in Brazil. In June, Andrey Suknev makes a presentation of the BBT project to representatives of the World Bank, the US Forest Service, GRINPIS, and the heads of environmental agencies in the Irkutsk Region and Buryatia. This presentation found a lively response from the deputy chief forestry drainage basin of Lake Tahoe Ed Guy. Ed is well acquainted with the Tahoe Rim Trail Lake Trail System

Ed Guy organizes a trip of senior officials from the US Forest Service to Lake Baikal. The result of this trip is the creation of a project of mutual exchanges to begin the practical implementation of the Great Baikal Trail project.

The emblem of the multipurpose project Great Baikal Trail was developed.

Who would know that just at that time the fulfillment of the dream of many travelers on Lake Baikal will begin - the creation of the Great Baikal Trail. Among the dreamers were Siberians - hiking enthusiasts, such as Oleg Gusev and Valentin Bryansky, whose books many of us in youth were read to.

The US Forest Service has funded a series of exchanges between trail builders and protected areas. At the same time, through joint efforts of two organizations - the Federation of Sports Tourism and Mountaineering of the Republic of Buryatia and the Baikal Watch in San Francisco, USA, a grant was received from the Russian-American Economic Cooperation Fund for the exchange of experience in the construction of trails. In the fall of 2002, specialists from the Association of Trails around Lake Tahoe, the US Forest Service and the Earth Corps came to Lake Baikal. They fell in love with Siberian land and our lake, met with representatives of protected areas, talked about how paths are built in the USA. A great personal contribution to the development of the project was made by Gary Cook, Director of the Baikal Watch.

A group of interested people from all over Baikal traveled to the west coast of the United States to see how the trails are arranged. In February, in the small ancient city of Virginia City in Nevada, in the old school, after what was seen in the United States, the council holds whether we will build trails on Lake Baikal ... The council is only for Russians, namely Arkady Kalikhman, Andrei Suknev, Evgeni Maryasov, Vera Butorova , Vasily Sutula, Sergey Baldanov and Ariadna Reida. The decision is made: "Build a path!" With the help of volunteers, make international volunteer camps where you can work and relax, chat with people from other cultures on the shores of an amazing lake. As decided, so did!

The first 6 volunteer teams went on the construction of the trail with the support of the Baikal Reserve, the Trans-Baikal National Park, the public organization "Ustye" from Bolshoy Goloustnoye, the LAT club of Ulan-Ude, the public organization "GREEN" of Irkutsk and the School of Tourist and Environmental Education Severobaikalsk city. During the first season 136 volunteers passed through BBT. On the Russian side, mainly students for whom a unique opportunity has opened up to visit different parts of Baikal and do something with their own hands. In autumn, at the numerous requests of students, the BBT youth club was founded. Foreign volunteers came to the club, who, together with Russian students, helped in the preparation of the next season.

Three young children were sent for internships in the organization Earth Corps, Seattle, USA to acquire skills in building trails and organizing volunteers. They returned in time for the start of the BBT 2004 season.

Two qualified specialists from the Corps arrived with them, Robin Clark and Benjamin Kite, who for 3 months helped with work on already 15 projects. I must say that they were not the only ones who came to work on Lake Baikal! There were Josh Harzhorn, Alan Mayer, Al Locker, John Green, who left their hearts on Lake Baikal with their friends to return next year! The year 2004 is also notable for the fact that the Rotary International charity fund took patronage over 100 km of the trail and sent a wonderful team leader - Dave Bran. And also the German organization BaikalPlan joined BBT. They helped with the recruitment of German volunteers and recruited 100 participants for the construction of the trail.

For the possibility of writing grants, the idea arose of creating a non-profit organization that could coordinate the activities of the BBT project in the territory of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia and work with volunteers. So we appeared, that is, the Big Baikal Trail Interregional Non-Governmental Organization (IPO "BBT").

The Irkutsk youth club began to conduct field lectures on ecology for children, to prepare exhibitions, and most importantly - the guys wanted to become team leaders and translators. Spring theoretical courses were held with the opportunity to practically show their knowledge and skills at the May BBT seminar in Listvyanka. BBT Club regularly participates in various events, such as Baikaltur, Zimniada, Baikal Day. Ulan-Ude club organizes social projects. Work is underway to collect New Year's gifts for children from orphanages. As a result, hundreds of children from orphanages and rehabilitation centers received gifts.

In Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk, volunteers go on the construction of park paths in city parks. In Ulan-Ude, volunteers built more than 300 meters of high-quality track for people in wheelchairs.

More than 30 local trail construction projects have been implemented. Moreover, BBT begins transferring its Russian experience to Kamchatka. The main partners of BBT remain public organizations: Earth Island (San Francisco), Earth Corps (Seattle), Baikal Plan (Dresden).

This year we were able to improve the quality of work and work, attracted Russian and foreign specialists, and expanded the geography of projects. Projects are becoming more interesting and diverse, we carry out more and more specific projects and projects involving children. As in previous years, we take part in city projects, actively cooperate with the administration of Irkutsk, carry out projects together with specially protected natural territories, forestries and other organizations of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia that are interested in our work.

The ECOM Center of Expertise published a rating of the popularity of environmental NGOs in 2005. The public interest in the activities of 40 all-Russian and regional organizations is estimated by the number of requests in the Internet search engines. The leading positions are occupied by Greenpeace, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Ringing Cedars of Russia Movement. The Big Baikal Trail interregional public organization was in 6th place, sharing one line of the rating with organizations such as the Baikal Ecological Wave, the Center for Environmental Policy of Russia, the Moscow Society of Naturalists, the environmental educational center Zapovedniks, and Ecological watch of Sakhalin. "

The Big Baikal Trail interregional public organization received the 2005 National Volunteer Award for a volunteer project to support ecological trails. The award was established as a sign of public gratitude and recognition for voluntary service to the community and contribution to the development and support of volunteering.

94 international summer volunteer projects on the arrangement and reconstruction of trails in the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia were carried out, in which 1945 volunteers from Russia took part (Irkutsk, Angarsk, Ulan-Ude, Severobaykalsk, Usolye-Sibirskoe, Ust-Barguzin, Novosibirsk, Barguzin , Tankhoy, Omsk, Barnaul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Izhevsk, Voronezh and other settlements), as well as Germany, Australia, Austria, France, Switzerland, England, the USA, Holland, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, Scotland , Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland, Hungary, Mongolia and other countries.

If we take into account all our projects over the years - urban parks and groves, educational (with schoolchildren of villages and city schools), winter projects, seminars, round tables, etc., the number of people involved will be more than 3,000.

The organization expanded the geography of projects - along with the Pribaikalsky and Zabaykalsky National Parks, the Baikal Reserve and the territories of forestries, this year the first projects were held in the Tunkinsky National Park and a training seminar in the administration of the Vitimsky Reserve (Bodaibo).

As in previous years, the Municipal Public Association "BBT" takes part in urban projects. These projects are aimed at restoring parks and groves. Landscaping of green areas includes garbage collection, clearing of old dead trees, building a network of walking paths, drainage systems for draining meltwater in spring, bridges over streams, benches. Students, local residents and all comers are actively involved in such projects. An example of such work in the city of Irkutsk was Pushkinskaya Grove, Park of the Paris Commune, this year - a recreation zone in the Sverdlovsk region, for the arrangement of which the BBT NGO has been seeking funds from city and national grants for more than a year. We participate in the programs - "Days of protection from environmental hazards", "Spring week of good", "Day of Baikal".

The guys from the BBT Club developed the emblem of the Big Baikal Trail Interregional Public Organization.

We continue to carry out social projects. In particular, we conduct interactive classes for children from villages and towns of the Baikal region, and also work with the Social and Rehabilitation Center for Children of Irkutsk. In 2010, classes were held in p. Tankhoi, Meget, Bolshoy Goloustnoye and p. Baikal.

Many different events are taking place with the participation of volunteers of the BBT Public Association. Various educational seminars, interactive games are held, lectures on ecology are given, we deal with the interpretation of trails, write various grant applications, our volunteers travel on various internships (both in Russia and in organizations abroad). More details can be found in our reports.

This year 10 season of summer international projects on arrangement and reconstruction of paths was held.

We conducted another 11 summer international projects on the arrangement and reconstruction of paths! We also conduct a large number of seminars, educational projects on ecology and nature conservation. And they also actively joined the interpretation program - several people went on an internship, which included a four-day training of the National Association of Interpretation.

One of the busiest years for BBT. It is marked by the fact that we were able to collect the necessary amount for the purchase of an office for BBT! As always, we carry out summer trail construction projects, educational programs, organize seminars, interpretation courses, and transfer experience to other regions.

In the summer of this year, 11 international trail construction projects were successfully carried out, and in September, a very important event for the Big Baikal Trail was a housewarming. Now that BBT has its own office, there are more opportunities for various formal events, seminars and meetings with friends.

At the beginning of the year, a winter project was successfully held in the Baikal Reserve, and in the summer season 7 international projects on the arrangement and reconstruction of paths were carried out. Projects traditionally took place in two regions - the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia - in the Transbaikal National Park, the Baikal Reserve, the Frolykhinsky Reserve, the Pribaikalsky National Park, and the Barguzinsky Reserve.

In addition, 2016 was marked by the fact that BBT organized a large-scale Eco-Action project in the territory of the Pribaikalsky National Park - work was carried out simultaneously by 5 groups on a 150-kilometer stretch, more than 50 people took part in the project.

Also in 2016, BBT appeared with a new emblem.

2 winter, 6 summer (tropostroitelny) and 2 autumn projects on clearing the springs on the island of Olkhon were carried out. Received a Presidential grant for the organization.

Received Association Status. The new full name is the Association of Advocates of the Development of Eco-Education, Leadership and Tropostructure "The Great Baikal Trail".

2 winter projects, 10 summer and 1 project on clearing springs on the island of Olkhon were carried out.

On December 1, 2018, the organization celebrated its 15th anniversary.