The following appears in RCN #17.

Voice from the Wild (Letter from the Editors)

In compiling each issue of Russian Conservation News, we try to bring our readers a balanced and diverse picture of conservation activities in northern Eurasia, sharing the success stories as well as the challenges facing our colleagues in the region. Usually we use the "Voice from the Wild" to highlight certain articles in the journal, but this time, it seems appropriate to call your attention to the many changes occurring in the society from which our articles originate.

Part of the pleasure in publishing Russian Conservation News is the opportunity to shatter the many stereotypes of the environmental movement in the former Soviet Union. Through Russian Conservation News, we have surprised the international conservation community with the reports on continuing expansion of protected areas systems in Ukraine, Russia, and Central Asia; we have inspired readers with stories of grassroots efforts to combat poaching of endan gered flora and fauna in Georgia, Moldova, and other countries; we have brought alive the names and faces of conservation leaders through their first hand stories, photos and illustrations.

These accounts from the field give us much more than facts and figures about biology, ecology, or species. They give us insight into the spirit of the environmental community, and help us to understand what a critical role environmental groups play in forcing positive change in society. Many of their actions, whether they be the publication of a bold report on nuclear waste disposal, or the initiation of a children's education program, exemplify exciting moments in the development of a young democracy. The environmentalists' impassioned energy and staunch devotion to nature protection, public health, legal reform, and the defense of basic rights such as the freedoms of speech and press, have been a model for us all.

The seemingly endless optimism and persistence of the environmental community may be deeply rooted, but they are not secure. Since the recent downturn in August of an already declining economy in Russia, a general pall seems to hang like a storm cloud in the air. Throughout the fall season we have been receiving reports from around Russia of the hardships caused by the country's financial state. Budget cuts for Zapovedniks signify much more than limited conservation activities. These problems are sparking increasing tensions inside and around the protected areas as people search for relief from the pressures forced upon them by a new "survival mode." In Sayano-Shushenksi Zapovednik, a ranger has been killed. In Kavkazski Zapovednik, an education specialist laments that his hard work is no longer appreciated or needed. Managers write of their struggle to keep offices and housing heated. Many are dreading a tough winter ahead.

The coming months will, indeed, be difficult for conservationists, protected areas managers, scientists, and many others in the environmental field. Together with our colleagues in the region, we must work hard to preserve the many achievements that have been made in the past decades. We must continue to bolster the Zapovedniks, National Parks, and NGOs in the region and we must find innovative ways of getting funds directly to the region.

As this issue of Russian Conservation News was going to press, the shocking. murder of Galina Starovoitova (a member of the Russian Duma who fought anti-Semitism and organized crime and defended the development of democracy in Russia) serves as a flashing alarm that Russia has a long way to go before the social and economic situation is stabilized. The international conservation community can help by supporting on-the-ground environmental and conservation projects; educating donor agencies about the need to support environmental initiatives in northern Eurasia as a way of safeguarding democratic reforms; and developing a longer-term strategy to leverage funding from Russian and other domestic agencies. Additionally, Russian Conservation News readers can help by maintaining connections and communication with our partners overseas to offer, at the very least, moral support and appreciation for the work of the region's conservationists.

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