Three new locally significant nature conservation areas are being officially added in the Kyiv region. The regional council has approved the creation of two botanical nature monuments and one landscape reserve. All three sites share a common purpose — to protect rare plant species and natural landscapes that can be easily lost amid active land use.
The first newly designated area is “Orchids of Olshanytsia” in the Rokytne community. This nearly six‑hectare territory preserves unique populations of wild orchids that are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as plowing, construction, or drainage. Where orchids still grow, the ecosystem is considered to be in a “healthy” natural state — which is why the area is being granted special protection to preserve its ecological balance.
The second site, “Sribna Balka,” is located in the Dyvychky community of the Boryspil district. The area is very small — about a quarter of a hectare — yet such tiny fragments of steppe often protect rare local plant species that can disappear even due to minimal disturbances. This is one of those cases where size does not determine value; the true significance lies in what grows within.
The third protected area is the “Bobyrivska Hreblya” landscape reserve. Covering almost 21 hectares, it includes a natural mosaic of water bodies, meadows and river-valley vegetation. This territory supports a diverse array of birds, insects, and aquatic life. Such reserves are valuable because they protect not just individual species, but entire interconnected ecosystems.
For local residents, it is important to note that establishing these protected areas does not involve taking land away from owners or users. The land remains in community management but receives conservation status and corresponding restrictions. Specialists will now begin drafting regulations for each protected site and organizing long-term protection measures.
In the meadows near the village of Olshanytsia (Rokytne community, Kyiv region), a large population of the rare orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata (early marsh orchid), listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, has been discovered. This territory near the Horokhuvatka River became the foundation for establishing the “Orchids of Olshanytsia” botanical nature monument.
Sribna Balka is a valuable steppe area that hosts rare Red Book plant species, including Bulbocodium versicolor (spring meadow saffron), Stipa pennata (feather grass), and Pulsatilla pratensis (small pasque flower).
Bobyrivska Hreblya is notable for combining forest and meadow biotopes — from pine and birch stands to floodplain meadows and river-valley natural complexes. The area is home to the Red Book orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata, the European pond turtle, and valuable bird species such as the European bee-eater, great egret, moorhen, common pheasant, and long-tailed tit. Among insects, rare species like the river jewel beetle (Dicercus sinuatus) and the golden longhorn beetle (Calambus bipustulatus) are found here. One of the most remarkable discoveries is the summer shield shrimp (Lepidurus apus), a unique freshwater crustacean considered a “living witness” to ancient geological eras.
