A unique for Russia ecological festival Olonia, the Goose Capital will take place in Olonets region of Karelia on May 1-10, portal Official Karelia reports. A meeting of twenty unusual capitals of Russia, including Pokrov, the Chocolate Capital, Vologda, the Butter Capital, Suzdal, the Cucumber Capital, etc. will take place for the first time.
At this time of the year fields of the Olonets plain are covered with geese. It is possible to watch the birds and take pictures of them from a very short distance. Scientists call the Olonets plain the largest in Europe spring stopping place of migrating birds. At the end of April geese and the rest of the feathered tribe amount there to one and half million. There are about one hundred birds species, mostly greylag geese and bean geese; there are also bar-headed geese and lesser white-fronted geese, and several times ornithologists found birds that had escaped from the zoo. A stopping spot of migrating geese so large could not but draw attention, thus since 2001 on the suggestion of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the Baltic Fund for Nature (BFN), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Olonia has officially become the goose capital.
In 2015 Olonia, the Goose Capital ecological festival will begin on May 1 with a Pakkaine's Spring Yard trade fair. The Olonka Boating Racewill be held on May 3, its participants will cover the distnace of 5 kilometers on any floatation devices whatsoever, including floats, baidarkas, canoes, barrels, and even cars, each team will try to excel the rest at originality.
On May, 10 in the village of Aleksala the festival will be crowned with its centerpiece The Goose Meeting in the territory of Goose Fields visit center where a goose racing will take place.