Cape Komariv on Bakota

The ecostation, lovingly created by the couple Victoria Bilivskа and Yevhen Ursol, embodies their dream of having a place for scientific work and the biodiversity research of the Bakota reserve, where they can share their knowledge with children and adults.

The couple are employees of national parks: obtains the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in biology, until September 2023 she worked in the science department at “Khotynskyi”, and from then until today she is a researcher at “Podilskyi Tovtry”, and Yevhen is an inspector at “Khotynskyi” and studies law at the same time. Having considerable theoretical and practical experience in environmental protection, the couple developed the ecostation as a universal base that combines scientific work and leisure for children, ecotourism and ecoactivism, innovative methods and local history, environmental protection activities and entertainment.

The ecostation is located near the village of Komariv on the right bank of Bakota Bay in the Dniester River basin on the Prut-Dniester Plain of the Podillya Plateau. The first mention of a settlement in this place dates back to the mid-17th century, but archaeological excavations in the vicinity of Komariv have revealed the remains of a glass factory from the late Roman period (3-4 centuries AD) — this is the only known similar manufactory outside the empire. Therefore, there is an assumption that these places flourished in ancient times.

From the ecostation it is easy to travel to the Bakota Rock Monastery (on the opposite bank of the Dniester River) and the Khotyn Fortress (9 km along the highway), as well as eco-trails in local national parks and reserves. Although the bay is an artificial reservoir created in 1981, it also has the status of a wetland of international importance within the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park known for its rich species diversity.

There is a network of eco-trails and routes extended from the eco-station “Cape Komariv on Bakota” which is used for hiking tours, outdoor activities within children’s Suslik Camp, and the state of the bay’s water resources monitoring, local flora and fauna are observation. In 2025, biodiversity restoration activities using pasture management are planned here, and a small flock of sheep has already been purchased for this purpose. Throughout this time, the eco-station has been cooperating with local educational institutions, the Khotynskyi and Podilski Tovtry National Nature Parks on the topic of eco-education and biodiversity conservation. The ecostation plans to publish scientific papers, create nature conservation sites, develop ecotourism, and develop this place as a base for scientists, local historians, and tourists.