Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Preserved Embassy Foundation
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Ksenia Gasparyan, Development Director of the Nature Embassy Foundation, spoke at the second meeting of Severstal's Biodiversity Expert Council, where a new popular science book, "Who Are You, Children of the Night?" was presented. The book, dedicated to the bats of the Vologda Region, was published by the Nature Embassy Foundation with organizational and financial support from Severstal as part of its comprehensive biodiversity conservation program.
Severstal's Expert Council was created to independently assess environmental risks and shape the environmental agenda; its December meeting was devoted to summing up the year's results. In 2025, specialists conducted extensive research on company grounds, focusing on birds, invasive plants, landscaping, and other aspects of biodiversity at industrial sites. And also—bats!
The presentation of the book about bats, "Who Are You, Children of the Night?", was one of the key and most striking moments of the meeting. No boring presentations were offered; instead, a creative, immersive format was used. Participants entered the room in complete darkness with headlamps on, symbolically recreating the conditions of fieldwork for researchers. On the screen, bats "came to life" and flew, using AI technology.
"The scientists who spoke about their work told a story about how difficult it was for them," Ksenia Gasparyan commented. "The researchers' biorhythms were disrupted: they had to study birds during the day, and bats at night. They even mentioned that a minor accident occurred when the inspector probably fell asleep at the wheel from fatigue."
The book's authors are Oleg Shapkin, a postgraduate student at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Miroslav Babushkin, Deputy Director for Science at the Darwin Nature Reserve. The book's design and publication were supported by the Zapovednoye Polusstvo Foundation, with financial support from Severstal. The editor was Ekaterina Pilyutina, an environmental educator, a true conservationist, a professional, and a friend of the foundation.
As Ksenia Gasparyan emphasized, the goal of the publication was not only to educate the general public about ecology but also to "immerse and shape a whole generation of new researchers." "Who Are You, Children of the Night?" is based on six years of research (2018-2024), during which over a thousand individuals of eight bat species were studied. However, this isn't a thick, jargon-laden tome that only scientists specializing in bats (incidentally, such scientists are called chiropterologists) will be interested in. Rather, it's a truly engaging, popular science book that every biology-loving schoolchild will appreciate! What makes this publication special is that serious scientific research is adapted and presented in a language that's understandable and engaging for a young audience.
The authors dedicated the publication to the mother of one of the authors, Almira Babushkina, a biology teacher who introduced him and dozens of other children to the world of science.
Bats (Chiroptera) are one of the least studied mammal groups, yet they are critically important to ecosystems. They effectively regulate insect populations, including many agricultural and forestry pests, as well as mosquitoes. Some species are involved in plant pollination. In Russia, many bat species have protected status and are listed in regional and federal Red Data Books. Their secretive nocturnal lifestyle and vulnerability to habitat changes (cutting of hollow trees, disturbance in caves) make their conservation particularly pressing.
Following the meeting, Severstal's Expert Council developed plans for the next year. Priorities include creating a monitoring system for invasive plant species, continuing to observe indicator species, and conducting in-depth studies of rare and secretive birds. A highlight of 2026 is expected to be Russia's first environmental and educational festival, "SKOPIN FEST."
The Nature Conservation Embassy Foundation will continue to provide expert support for the company's environmental initiatives. "We recommend that large city-forming companies, such as Severstal, not only develop environmental education in general in the cities where they operate, but also encourage the emergence of new young researchers by helping them with career guidance in environmental and scientific fields," Ksenia Gasparyan concluded.
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