Pitsunda Nature Reserve (Pitsunda)

 park, forest, nature conservation park / area

Pitsunda reserve is a part of much bigger nature complex - Pitsunda-Myussera reserve. Founded on the territory of Soviet Georgian republic in 1926, now is located in Abkhazia.
The reserve is mostly famous with its woods of endemic long needle Pitsunda pine (Pinus brutia var. pityusa) and boxwood forest. Other rare and protected plants grow here - Ruscus colchicus, Helleborus caucasicus and other. The reserve was almost closed in 1951-57 and in 1961-65, but then its status was restored. After the dissolution of USSR the reserve was almost abandoned. Now it is not maintained and remains unprotected. The perimeter fence if broken and the area of the reserve itself now look much more like a city garden with cafe and tourists walking around. It all causes heavy littering of the territory and creates big danger of forest fire.

Photo 1: fontus
Photo 2: Svetlana Magkaeva
Photo 3: baza30
Photo 4: Fox <Lisin Fedor>
Photos 5 and 6: mind-debagger