MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. The Clean Arctic public environmental project's expedition to Eurasia's most extreme point, Cape Chelyuskin, will continue from August 15 to 25. The project's participants will clean the territory and will prepare a site for the work of scientists, the project's press service said.

"The cape's ecosystem, shaped by the harsh Arctic climate, is home to rare flora and fauna species. Here, specialists may study forms and processes of life in particularly harsh, extreme conditions. Besides, this extreme northern point of the Eurasian continent has been used to assess the significance of climate change, melting glaciers and their impact on wildlife," the Clean Arctic public environmental project's leader Andrey Nagibin said.

Two natural zones are changing on the cape: from the Arctic tundra to the polar deserts. The cape is home to Red Data Book animals such as the polar bear, as well as native lichen species that grow on tundra soils. Cape Chelyuskin is also unique since it is located on the watershed of the Arctic Ocean's two seas - the Kara and the Laptev Seas. This makes it the entire planet's climate indicator.

According to results of research conducted by the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geography, the sea ice area in the Arctic has been shrinking twice as fast over the recent twenty years. Most significant changes in summer and autumn have been recorded in the Laptev Sea, the Beaufort Sea, the interior of the Arctic Ocean, and in the Kara Sea, that is, right in the Cape Chelyuskin area. This affects the migratory and hunting behavior of polar bears, which are forced to reduce their movements and to increase intraspecific competition.

The project's participants will upgrade an ecological trail with information signs at the expense of a grant from the Presidential Nature Foundation. The signs will contain information about natural and historical sites, brief information about rare animals and plants, and facts related to Chelyuskin.

In 2026, the Clean Arctic project will go on an expedition to the cape for the third time. The contamination area there is about 40 hectares. Those are mostly rusty fuel barrels. The project participants will be using the successful experience gained at the cape in all Arctic regions. What really matters is not just to remove waste, but to prevent its reappearance. "We will work on legislative initiatives and environmental education," the Clean Arctic project's press service said in conclusion.

About the project

The Clean Arctic Public Environmental Project has been cleaning the northern territories since 2021. Waste removal is a complex technological work, where the movement teams work carefully minding the Arctic nature. Over all seasons, the project's almost 10,000 volunteers have collected 22,045 tons of waste and cleaned 1,101 hectares of land. The project's general partner is the Rosatom State Corporation, and TASS is the general information partner.