The expedition of the Interuniversity Student Expeditionary Corps "Arctic Team" to the Commander Islands has come to an end. Its main goal was to monitor the Bering Island arctic fox, a unique subspecies listed in the Red Book and found nowhere else on Earth. The research took place on the largest island of the archipelago with the support of the Presidential Fund for Environmental and Nature Conservation Projects.

The journey to the site took 36 hours: the students reached the island aboard the vessel "Vasily Zavoyko" from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, following the Aleutian Ridge. Over 21 days on the island, the participants covered approximately 370 kilometers across rugged tundra terrain, described more than 300 fox dens — recording coordinates, condition, signs of activity, and the status of each. Field trips were conducted in two autonomous stages — 8 and 13 days — with no communication, in the harsh Kamchatka climate, and with overnight stays at park ranger stations. All work followed the methodology of the "Commander Islands" National Park, which allows not only professional biologists but also trained volunteers to collect field data.

The expedition offered the students not only scientific results but also vivid encounters with the island's wildlife: rookeries of fur seals and Steller sea lions, herds of wild reindeer, and bird colonies. A special highlight was visiting the site of the wreck of the packet boat "Saint Peter" — the vessel of Vitus Bering — offering a tangible connection to the era of great geographical discoveries.

"Almost 400 kilometers across hummocky tundra is no easy feat. But when you know that your work helps preserve a rare subspecies, fatigue fades away. This is the kind of experience you can only get with the 'Arctic Team'," shares Elizaveta Radchenko, a student at MGIMO and expedition participant.

The "Arctic Team" worked on the Commander Islands in two locations simultaneously — Bering Island and Medny Island. In addition to the fox census, volunteers assisted the national park with infrastructure: unloading materials for a carpentry workshop in the village of Nikolskoye and installing posts for an eco-trail near Buyan Bay.

"The mission was accomplished brilliantly. We collected valuable scientific data and proved in practice that students are ready to work in the most extreme conditions," comments Konstantin Obraztsov, a student at RTU MIREA and the expedition leader.

Igor Tarasov, Vice-Rector of RTU MIREA, noted: "The 'Arctic Team' has worked on the Commander Islands for the first time — and in two directions at once. I am confident this will become a good tradition. The participants spent nearly two months in complete autonomy, and alongside their scientific work, they documented everything with photos and videos and kept travel logs."

The "Arctic Team" is a nationwide interuniversity project based at RTU MIREA, bringing together 116 universities from 53 regions of Russia. The corps has over 250 completed projects to its name. Its flag has been to space, its members have reached the North Pole and crossed the Antarctic Circle.

Based on materials from the RTU MIREA Press Office
Contact: Aksana Viktorovna Kolesnik, Deputy Head of the Press Office.

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