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 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 more than a century of existence, the junior naturalists have made a huge contribution to science and have raised 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, the young Soviet republic understood the importance of raising the younger generation in harmony with the surrounding world. The founders of the first Station of Young Nature Lovers were two enthusiasts: pediatrician and chairman of the Sokolnichesky District Council Ivan Vasilevich Rusakov and young biology teacher Boris Vasilevich Vsesvятский. 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, and Vsesvятский, who became the first director of the station, took on the practical organization of work. The station was housed in a requisitioned merchant's dacha, known as the "Blue Dacha," located on Rostokino Street, near the forest massif of Pogonno-Losinny Ostrov. The initial staff of the bio-station consisted of only three people, but this did not prevent them from igniting 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 responded, ready to learn the secrets of the forest for free. It was for them that the very first organized excursion was held on June 15, becoming the birthday of the junior 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 "Aquatics" (hydrobiology). The activities of the young naturalists were based on the principle of unity with nature. Special "Commandments of the Young Naturalist" were developed for them, still relevant today. They stated: observe everything around you; record and draw all your observations accurately; clearly 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 repeatedly or through carefully designed experiments. These simple and wise rules laid the foundation for the scientific research work of the junior naturalists, which was carried out under the slogan "Closer to Nature!"

Development of the Movement and Its Popular 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 meeting of junior naturalists was convened, and in 1928, on the initiative of B.V. Vsesvятский, the first issue of the magazine "Young Naturalist" (originally named "Leaves of the Bio-Station of Young Nature Lovers") began to appear, which became the voice of the movement. By 1975, there were already over 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. Junior naturalists conducted observations of natural phenomena, carried out experimental and research work, actively participated in environmental protection actions, helped collective farms and kolkhozes, planted shelter belts and school gardens. Slings of junior naturalists, Days of the Forest, and Harvest Festivals became traditional mass events, and circles at stations and schools fostered children's love for work and the research spirit.

Today: Traditions and Innovations

In 2026, the junior naturalist movement, celebrating its 108th birthday, continues to actively develop, finding new forms of work and attracting more and more schoolchildren. Today, junior naturalists not only keep traditional observation diaries but also use modern digital technologies: digitizing their research, participating in online conferences and forums, and maintaining environmental blogs. The main coordinator of the movement in the country is the Federal Children's Ecological-Biological Center. Under its auspices, over 477 stations of young naturalists and ecological-biological centers operate, where over 300,000 schoolchildren are involved. Work is conducted in dozens of areas: students participate in scientific societies, school forest nurseries, specialized ecological camps, conduct extensive experimental and research work, and actively participate in environmental protection actions and scientific and practical conferences. Traditional popular competitions such as "Youth," "My Native Land," "Mirror of Nature," slings of young ecologists, olympiads, and profile schools help young talents reveal their potential.

Prospects: Raising an Ecological Elite

Over 108 years of existence, the junior naturalist movement has raised many outstanding scientists: breeders, agronomists, biologists of various profiles, ecologists, many of whom have glorified Russian science throughout the world. The prospects for the movement in 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: many junior naturalists determine their future profession in school and continue their education at biological and ecological faculties of leading universities in the country. The junior naturalist movement remains an important link in the system of additional education for children, shaping a responsible attitude to nature, love for the Motherland, and a scientific world outlook 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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