We invite you to come to the heart of Central Asia to participate in our summer school, gain new knowledge, broaden your horizons, and, above all, enjoy an unforgettable experience in a friendly atmosphere.
The goals of the summer schools are:
to demonstrate the great diversity of the nature of the Tian Shan mountain system (which is mostly within Kyrgyzstan), from desert to glaciated landscapes;
to explore various, just slightly disturbed by human activity, interrelationships between abiotic and biotic ecosystem components (soil, vegetation, geological substrate, relief, and climate) in a strongly continental climate, with seasonal frost and sometimes permafrost;
to show the influences of crop irrigation, pasturing and specific water/river management and the ecological problems caused by these effects;
to discuss the influence of current climate change and its mitigation in relation to the rational use of soil and ecosystems to maintain soil health and achieve sustainable development of human-made ecosystems.
Kyrgyzstan is located in the heart of Central Asia. More than three-quarters of Kyrgyzstan's territory is mountainous. The country's territory lies between 390 m and 7,000 m above sea level, with an average altitude of 2,750 m. Due to the pronounced altitude zonality and great variety of climatic peculiarities, this country has a very high diversity of flora and fauna, ecosystems and landscapes.
In addition to natural walnut, almond and pistachio forests, the country has a very diverse land use: agriculture and pastoralism, which, however, is associated with some environmental problems. Among crops, one can find both crops common to Europe (cereals, maize) and crops typical of Southeast Asia (rice).
The pearl of Kyrgyzstan is the magnificent Lake Issyk-Kul, the seventh deepest lake in the world, located at an altitude of 1607 meters above sea level. It is the second largest high-altitude lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in South America.
We have developed the summer school program and itinerary for you based on our own experience, as well as relying on multiple sources of scientific literature and communications with many local scientists.
The itineraries of our summer schools are designed to allow you to see with your own eyes, explore and learn about the great diversity of natural and agricultural ecosystems, as well as enjoy the undeniable aesthetic pleasure of landscapes of unearthly beauty.
Although the main focus is on nature, some attention is given during the summer schools to the history and contemporary life of ordinary people in villages and cities, social problems partly caused by environmental problems. All in all, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere and feel the specific charm of Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan is located in the heart of Central Asia. More than three-quarters of Kyrgyzstan's territory is mountainous. The country's territory lies between 390 m and 7,000 m above sea level, with an average altitude of 2,750 m. Due to the pronounced altitude zonality and climatic peculiarities in different parts of the country, this country has a very high diversity of flora and fauna, ecosystems and landscapes.
In addition to the natural walnut, almond and pistachio forests, the country also has a very diverse land use: agriculture and pastoralism, which, however, is associated with some environmental problems. Among the crops, one can find those common in Europe, such as cereals and corn, to rice, a typical crop in Southeast Asia.
The pearl of Kyrgyzstan is the magnificent Issyk-Kul lake, the seventh deepest lake in the world, located at an altitude of 1608 meters above sea level. It is the second largest high mountain lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in South America.
We have developed a summer school route and program for you based on numerous sources of scientific literature, communication with many fellow scientists who have studied the territory of Kyrgyzstan for many years, and, of course, on our own experience.
The itineraries of our summer schools are designed to allow you to see with your own eyes, explore and learn about the great diversity of natural and agricultural ecosystems, as well as enjoy the undeniable aesthetic pleasure of landscapes of unearthly beauty.
Although the main focus is on nature, some attention is given during the summer schools to the history and contemporary life of ordinary people in villages and cities, social problems partly caused by environmental problems. All in all, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere and feel the specific charm of Central Asia.
The main organization patterns
► duration of approximately 21 days from June to September on an annual basis;
► travel (over 1700 km) by minibuses Mercedes Sprinter and truck for luggage;
► accommodation in tents right nearby rivers or lakes at scenic sites;
► accompanied by a service team (incl. professional cooks) who give us independence
and flexibility from outside facilities.
Tuition features
► The summer school are guided by leading scientists (specialists in geobotany, geomorphology, geology, and soil science,), who accompany the summer school throughout their duration. Local experts on specific topics are often invited.
► The summer school include approximately 17 key sites where our lecturers provide comprehensive information on landscape elements, soil, vegetation, geological substrate, relief and climate.
► Teaching takes place in the form of field seminars at the key sites, as well as short talks at specific observation sites, and sometimes additional discussions and lectures in the evening.
This allows, unlike textbooks, to clearly illustrate the absence of sharp boundaries in nature, smooth transitions between climatic characteristics, plant communities, soil types.
Accommodation, facilities, amenities
We deliberately refuse hotels, guesthouses and public campgrounds in order to immerse ourselves deeper into the local environment and better feel at one with nature.
We will visit several cities, medium and small towns, but only for a few hours, most of the time we will spend in nature.
We will sleep in tents mostly by rivers or lakes in picturesque places of “wild” (not public) campsites. Bathing and toilet facilities will also correspond to “wild” campsites. Although two hot springs are planned to be visited. But don't worry - everyone handles it easily.
For personal accommodation you will need to bring your own personal tent and sleeping bag.
We will provide you with expedition equipment for common use: all kitchen equipment, cooking utensils, individual dishware for each expedition member, a large common table for eating, a large tent over this table and so on.
Meals
Throughout the expedition, the group will be accompanied by a kitchen team (4 people) who will provide you with meals three times a day. Of these, two meals (breakfast and dinner) will be hot meals. Lunch will most often be in the form of buffet if we are traveling by minibuses during the day, or lunch boxes if we are trekking or hiking.
As the cooks are ethnic Uzbeks, the meals will be both Kyrgyz and Uzbek; some European dishes are also possible. Vegetarians will also be provided with appropriate food. The kitchen team will do their best to maximize your dietary preferences on site as much as possible in the field conditions. This will give us flexibility and independence from public catering establishments.
Students, PhD students, young (and not only) teachers and researchers studying landscape science,
physical geography, ecology, geobotany and botany, physical geography, soil science, and agriculture
are welcome invited to participate in our summer schools.
NB: At least minimal outdoor experience is highly desirable for participation in summer schools.
Illustration of the great diversity of the environment on the summer school route: from a sandy beach of warm Lake Issyk-Kul to a glacier at 4,000 meters above sea level
