Ecostation “The Rock of Practical Botany”

Amid picturesque swamps, rivers, steppes, and forests in the heart of Ukraine’s Posemya and Sivershchyna regions lies Konotop — a fortress city known for its military and Cossack heritage, celebrated in classical Ukrainian literature. In its outskirts, a special place has been created — The Rock of Practical Botany — an eco-station and field laboratory founded by Serhiy Panchenko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, botanist, and professional conservationist. He established it in his cozy home as a welcoming space for fellow scientists, local historians, and researchers.

This is where Serhiy develops ideas for lectures for schoolchildren and students, regional expeditions, collaborative research projects, environmental education events, offline and online excursions, bicycle tours, and initiatives to promote modern conservation methods and citizen science. He also researches the biodiversity of his local community, observes wildlife, and restores a degraded steppe meadow on his private land a project for which he has collected over 50 species of steppe plants.

The Rock of Practical Botany is:

• an “information center” for protected areas in northeastern Ukraine;
• a community hub for environmental education offering lectures, tourist trips, books, brochures, films, and podcasts;
• a remote science club for school students;
• a platform that unites scientists and conservationists to research the biodiversity of the local community and nearby protected areas;
• a demonstration site for eco-friendly solutions in home gardening and the traditional use of botanical materials in everyday life, especially wood.

During the full-scale invasion, despite being located in a high-risk area under constant threat of shelling, The Rock of Practical Botany never ceased its activities. Instead, it adapted and continued operating through a mix of in-person and online formats, remote work, and trips to other regions.

Joint projects of “The Rock of Practical Botany” ecostation and the Ukrainian Ecistation Network:

• Project “Conservation and Restoration of Steppes and Diversification of Phytomass Use for Energy Purposes”