A four-kilometer-long tourist trail will be built in the Lapland Biosphere Reserve, the website of the reserve reads. The Norilsk Nickel mining and smelting company has taken part in financing the project.

"At present, the basic and most important aim of our reserve is to give the local population a fresh look at our natural and cultural heritage, to encourage people to visit the conservation area, and to teach the rules of conduct in the wild and respect for nature. The only way to achieve all this is by developing ecotourism. The longer people stay in the wild, the more they appreciate nature and understand its vulnerability," the reserve website reads.

The trail will run from the Chunozero Estate where the German Kreps Memorial Museum is located to the old reserve facilities built in 1930. The plans also include building recreation areas and viewing platforms for bird and animal watching, as well as setting up information stands there.

The website reports that at present the reserve is home to over 1,600 species of plants, 310 species of fungi, 31 species of mammals, over 200 species of birds, two species of reptiles, one species of amphibians and 13 species of fish. Several species of plants and animals are under special protection and are listed in the Red Data Book of the Murmansk Region, some are even listed in the Red Data Book of Russia.

The trail-building work is slated to finish in September.