Ashgabat, 5 July 2010. From 28 June to 3 July the UN Development Program and Global Environment Facility’ project “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Globally Significant Biological Diversity in Hazar Nature Reserve on the Caspian Sea Coast” implemented jointly with the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan organized internship for the 4-th year students of Turkmen State University named after Makhtumkuli at the Hazar Nature Reserve.

Among students – future biologists and an ecologist. Two out of four inters originally come from Balkan province and after graduation from the University are planning to return their home places to continue working on the chosen specialty.

The main objective of the internship was to get knowledge on the history and principles of work of specially protected areas on the example of Hazar Nature Reserve, consolidation of theoretical knowledge and obtaining practical experience in conducting scientific research.

In the course of the internship, specialists of the Hazar reserve have told the students in detail the history of foundation of the reserve and its goals on conservation of the unique nature complex of protected areas including water area of the Caspian sea, methods of investigation of flora and fauna of the reserve, as well as methods of conducting scientific research.

Acquaintance of the students with the reserve started from it’s museum, which was founded to promote advocacy of nature protection among the vast layers of society. Students got acquainted with the landscape and biological diversity of the reserve and those species of flora and fauna that are enlisted in the Red Book of Turkmenistan.

Students, apart form having practical classes, lived at the Center of Phenological Observations, which was built within the project in October 2009 in Hazar Reserve with the aim to more effectively research and protect waterbirds, migrating birds and important species of fish.

As the Hazar Reserve is an important wintering place for migrating birds, during internship the attention of students were in the first place drawn to the state of ornithological fauna of the reserve and methods of it’s research. Specialists of the reserve together with the project expert on ornithology told the students on the activities of the reserve on conducting bird survey, methods of bird identification in field conditions, and how to correctly document the received data.

During practical classes students with the help of books were learning as how to identify different species of birds in field conditions, have mastered methods of researching nests and eggs of different birds, and the way of recording the received data. For instance, while researching the nesting fauna, eggs of birds were taken for further laboratory analysis.

Apart from studying ornithological fauna of the region and methods of its research, specialists of the reserve have also demonstrated students the methods that are used in investigation of ihtiofauna of the reserve such as identification of different species of fish, sex, age and so on.

Interns could learn factors directly influencing the state of Caspian sea ecosystem on the example of sea walnut (Mnemiopsis leidyi). Eating plankton sea walnut reduces feeding base for fish, which negatively results in their number, including important commercial species such as sturgeon. Presentation on sea walnut included information on it’s structure, ways of reproduction and ways of combating it. 
As a result of the internship students enlarged knowledge on flora and fauna of the Hazar reserve, have learned on how to identify various species of flora and fauna as well as methods of scientific research.