On February 20, 2025, at the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction located in the Almaty Botanical Garden, a meeting titled “Biodiversity of Kazakhstan 2025” was held. The event brought together biologists, zoologists, botanists, ecologists, and amateur naturalists who conduct photographic observations of wildlife.
Event organizers included: the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction, the Institute of Zoology, the international expert group “Open Conservation Biology Laboratory,” ACBK, the National Committee of the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere” Program, the Karaganda Regional Ecological Museum, the creative space “Dom na Baribayeva 36,” the BEGONIA design studio, and the brand The Twin Ducks.
The meeting’s main focus was on the development of Citizen Science in Kazakhstan. Projects involving volunteers and their successes were discussed, with particular attention paid to the iNaturalist project. The results of the Biodiversity of Kazakhstan and City Nature Challenge competitions for 2024 were summarized, and new activities for 2025 were planned.
The scientific program of the meeting included the following expert presentations:
- Alexander Dubynin (Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction) gave an overview of observations of Kazakhstan’s biodiversity in 2024 on the iNaturalist platform.
- Gennadiy Dyakin (ornithologist, photographer) discussed bird population numbers and dynamics in Almaty.
- Pavel Adzhigildyayev (birdwatcher, data analyst) presented a graph of birds’ seasonal movements across Kazakhstan.
- Bektemir Osmonali (PhD, Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction) covered the diversity and ecology of Chenopodiaceae plants.
- Ruslan Kastani (naturalist, master’s student at KazNU) spoke about viruses, insects, and bacteria living on plants.
- Polina Gudkova (Cand. Sci. [Biol.], Altai State University) presented an overview of the feather grasses of Southern Siberia and Kazakhstan.
Following the scientific presentations, participants discussed their 2024 fieldwork and shared their plans for 2025, including joint expeditions and biodiversity conservation initiatives.
Winners of the “Biodiversity of Kazakhstan 2024” contest received diplomas and prizes. Last year, the iNaturalist platform recorded 37,018 verified observations of 3,179 species, a 1.7-fold increase compared to the previous year. One of the contest’s key results was registering 2,500+ occurrences of 139 species listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, representing a significant contribution to scientific research and conservation efforts.
The meeting demonstrated a strong interest in citizen science projects and affirmed the importance of collaboration between the scientific community and nature enthusiasts. Organizers plan to continue developing initiatives aimed at monitoring and conserving Kazakhstan’s biodiversity.
Photos by: Dmitry Kopylov
March 11, 2025