On June 15, 2026, the young naturalist movement of Russia celebrates its 108th birthday. It was on June 15, 1918, in the Moscow park "Sokolniki," that the staff of the newly established Station of Young Nature Lovers conducted the first organized excursion, which became the starting point of the history of this unique children's movement, unparalleled in the world. Over a century of existence, the young naturalists have made a huge contribution to science and have educated not one generation of biologists, ecologists, and simply people who love nature. Today, the traditions laid down in 1918 continue to live and develop, finding new forms and attracting thousands of schoolchildren across the country.

How It All Began: The Idea and Its Implementation

By 1918, despite revolutionary events and the Civil War, in the young Soviet republic, there was an understanding of the importance of nurturing the younger generation in harmony with the surrounding world. The founders of the first Station of Young Nature Lovers were two enthusiasts: pediatrician, chairman of the Sokolnichesky District Council Ivan Vasilyevich Rusakov, and young biology teacher Boris Vasilyevich Vsesvyatsky. Rusakov's idea was to create a place for urban children where they could combine school studies with the study of the secrets of nature, while Vsesvyatsky, who became the first director of the station, took on the practical organization of work. A requisitioned dacha known as "Blue Dacha," located on Rostokinsky Prospekt, near the forest massif of Pogonno-Losino Ostrov, was allocated for the station. The staff of the bio-station initially consisted of only three people, but this did not prevent them from sparking a spark of love for nature in the hearts of children. In May 1918, an announcement appeared in Sokolniki inviting children and working youth to become permanent practitioners at the Station of Young Nature Lovers. Seventeen boys and girls, ready to learn the secrets of the forest for free, responded. It was for them that the very first organized excursion was conducted on June 15, becoming the birthday of the young naturalist movement.

First Steps and Commandments of the Young Naturalist

In the first year of operation, four interest groups were formed at the station: "Gardeners" (botany), "Birdwatchers" (ornithology), "Insectivores" (entomology), and "Aquatic Ones" (hydrobiology). The activities of young naturalists were based on the principle of unity with nature. Special "Commandments of the Young Naturalist" were developed for them, which are still relevant today. They said: observe everything that is around you; accurately record and draw all your observations; accurately indicate the place, time, and conditions of observation; be impartial and truthful in describing observations; note only such observations in which you are not in doubt; do not make hasty conclusions without verifying them multiple times or with a carefully set experiment. These simple and wise rules laid the foundation for the scientific research work of the young naturalists, which was conducted under the motto "Closer to Nature!"

Development of the Movement and Its National Recognition

The creation of the first station laid the foundation for a mass children's movement that quickly spread throughout the country. Within a few years, stations of young naturalists began to open in other Soviet cities. In 1924, the first All-Russian Conference of Young Naturalists was convened, and in 1928, on the initiative of B.V. Vsesvyatsky, the first issue of the journal "Young Naturalist" (originally named "Leaflets of the Bio-station of Young Naturalists") began to be published, which became the mouthpiece of the movement. By 1975, there were already more than 500 regional, краевых, and republican stations in the USSR. The former station in Sokolniki was transformed into the Central Bio-station of Young Naturalists named after K.A. Timiryazev — a methodological center for the entire country. The young naturalists conducted observations of natural phenomena, carried out experimental and research work, actively participated in nature conservation actions, helped collective farms and kolkhozes, planted shelterbelts and school gardens. Slings of young naturalists, Forest Days, and Harvest Festivals became traditional mass events, while clubs at stations and schools educated children's love for work and the spirit of research.

Today: Traditions and Innovations

In 2026, the young naturalist movement, celebrating its 108th birthday, continues to actively develop, finding new forms of work and attracting more and more schoolchildren. Today, young naturalists not only keep traditional observation diaries but also use modern digital technologies: digitize their research, participate in online conferences and forums, and lead ecological blogs. The main coordinator of the movement in the country is the Federal Children's Ecolological and Biological Center. Under its auspices, more than 477 stations of young naturalists and ecological and biological centers operate, where more than 300,000 schoolchildren are involved. Work is carried out in dozens of directions: students participate in the work of scientific societies, school forest nurseries, profile ecological camps, conduct extensive experimental and research work, become active participants in nature conservation actions and scientific and practical conferences. Traditionally popular are national competitions "Youth," "My Native Land," "Mirror of Nature," slings of young ecologists, olympiads, and profile schools that help young talents reveal their potential.

Prospects: Raising an Eco Elite

Over 108 years of existence, the young naturalist movement has nurtured many outstanding scientists: selectors, agronomists, biologists of a broad profile, ecologists, many of whom have glorified Russian science throughout the world. The prospects of the movement for the near future are associated with the introduction of new technologies into the educational process: the use of sensors for monitoring the environment, the use of GIS technologies for cartography, the development of distance learning forms, and the expansion of network interaction between regions. Special attention is paid to vocational guidance work: many young naturalists determine their choice of future profession in school and continue their studies at biological and ecological faculties of leading universities in the country. The young naturalist movement remains an important link in the system of additional education of children, forming a responsible attitude to nature, love for the Motherland, and a scientific worldview in the younger generation. It is these qualities, laid in childhood, that help raise true citizens of their country capable of preserving its natural wealth.

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