Georgian Nature « Guide-Interprète Indépendant en Géorgie

	Lagodekhi located at the foot of the Greater Caucasus Mountains in Kakheti, Georgian wine country. Lagodekhi has a number of nearby waterfalls and includes the Lagodekhi Nature Reserve, established in 1912 and first noted by Polish botanist Ludwik The combined area of the two is 24,451 hectares (94.41 sq mi). The reserves are located in north-eastern Georgia on the southern slopes of the Caucasus and border on Azerbaijan and Dagestan. Lagodekhi preserves a variety of rare local flora and fauna and was originally protected in 1912, under the Russia, the first nature preserve in Georgia. Their ecoregion is that of the Caucasus mixed forests.Młokosiewicz for having a variety of tree species. Lagodekhi is also known for its animal life, and has been famous for its hunting. It is one of the major reserves for the East Caucasian tur and also has many chamois and red deer. Major predators include Eurasian lynx, grey wolf, brown bear, and the raptors bearded vulture, eastern imperial eagle, golden eagle and steppe eagle. Altogether 150 species of birds, 53 mammals, 5 amphibians, 12 reptiles, and 4 fish are found in the reserves; 26 of the plants and more than 40 of the animals
	Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is located in central part of Georgia and creates eastern part of lesser Caucasus Mountains. The total area amounts to 85,083 ha, which is more than 1% of the territory of Georgia. Borjomi-Kharagauli Protected Areas includes 6 districts – Borjomi, Kharagauli, Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni, Khashuri and Baghdati. Administrative and visitors centers of the national park are located in Borjomi and Kharagauli. The park administration manages 4 various types of protected areas – Borjomi Nature Reserve, Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Nedzvi Managed Reserve and Goderdzi fossil forest Natural Monument. Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park tourist route network allows hiking for one or several days. Tourist route network is up to 400-2,642 meters. Paths are marked and well-arranged. Tourist shelters, picnic spots and camping sites are arranged along the routes.
	Vashlovani Protected Areas is located in the extreme eastern part of the Dedoflistskaro district. It includes Vashlovani Nature Reserve, National Park and 3 Natural Monuments – Eagle Gorge, Takhti-Tepa Mud Volcanoes and Kaklisyure Alazani floodplain forest. Its area includes Pantishara-Vashlovani massive, whose height is up to 300-600 meters above sea level. The name Vashlovani is derived from the natural similarity and disposition of pistachio and apple trees that leaves the association of the fruit garden. It total area amounts to 35053,7 ha. The Vashlovani National Park is notable for its unique, bad-land-like landscapes of desert and semi-desert steppe vegetation and arid and deciduous forests. The name Vashlovani derived from the natural similarity and disposition of pistachio and apple trees that leaves the association of the fruit garden. It is also a home to the remarkable cliffs-of-the-canyons, locally called the “Sharp Walls” and the magnificent Alazani flood plains and forests. The pistachio and juniper trees are unique to the place. Vashlovani supports a variety of incredible animals such as leopard, striped hyena, brown bear, wolf, lynx, wild boar, as well as a variety of rare birds including the griffon vulture, black vulture, Egyptian vulture, little bustard and the rare black stork.
	Kolkheti National Park is located in western Georgia. It includes east coast line of Black Sea and Lake Paliastomi basin. National Park is created in order to protect and maintain Kolkheti wetland ecosystems of International importance. It’s worth mentioning that the area -Colchis wetlands and forests- were given a status of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and is included in the Unesco tentative list. In the National park you can find up to 200 species of birds in early Spring and late Autumn it is time for bird migration and many tourists come to observe birds: storks, pelicans, ducks, swans, geese, some species of water birds. You should check for the best period to observe birds with National Park contact persons as the best period may vary each year.

	Mtirala National Park ( meaning “to cry”) is a protected area in Adjara region, Georgia. Covering approximately 15,698 hectares (38,790 acres) in the western Lesser Caucasus, it is situated between the Black Sea and the Adjara Mountains. It also adjoins Kintrishi Protected Areas. The park’s “pristine Colchic humid broad-leaved and mixed forests” include sweet chestnut and Oriental beech woods with pontic rhododendron, cherry laurel and Colcic box understories and a variety of lianas. Fauna recorded are Brown bear, Roe deer, and Wild boar, while avifauna includes Booted eagle, Eagle owl and Golden oriole. Amphibians inhabiting the park include Caucasian salamander, Caucasian toad, Eurasian mash frog and Caucasian viper. Mount Mtirala is one of the most humid areas in the country. The name Mtirala (meaning “to cry”) is derived from the 4,520 millimetres (178 in) annual rainfall, making it one of the wettest areas.
	The Tusheti National Park in East Georgia is one of the eight new Protected Areas. Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank were part of this approval process under the “Georgia – Protected Areas Development Project.” Plants conserved in the park are pine groves and birch groves. The key faunal species in the park are Anatolian leopard, bear, chamois, falcon, Golden Eagle, lammergeier, lynx, mountain goat, wild goat, and wolf. The park was named one of the “12 best places you’ve never heard of” by BudgetTravel in 2011 not only for its rich biodiversity but also for its aesthetic terrain, hamlets, old defense towers, cuisine, and folk culture. The park has an approved land area of 83 hectares, which lies within an elevation range of 900–4,800 metres. The main functions of the park administration are to provide protection and conserve the flora and fauna of the park concurrently supporting the interests of the 50 nomadic communities, and achieving conservation of the linked historic monuments; and also to encourage eco-tourism. For the endangered Wild Goat the park is the only intact habitat. To protect this species from poaching and enable its viewing in the park by visitors, the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation & Research (NACRES), an IUCN member, carried out a pilot project titled “viewing potential” by monitoring the “risks and benefits to conservation and the cost of setting up and operation of wildlife viewing trails.”
	The Martvili Canyons in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region are named after the nearby town of Martvili. The spectacular canyons, caves and waterfalls were formed over time by the Abasha River and feature beautiful green and blue colors. Its a natural wonder in the Samegrelo region of Georgia. Also called the Gachedili Canyon, it is about a 45 minute drive from the city of Kutaisi in West Georgia. The incredible natural beauty of the secluded coves and azure-green water of the stream as it flows through the hidden canyon appealed to adventurers streaming into the Caucasus from Europe. Thus, the site became overrun by locals and tourists and became unsafe as daredevils jumped from waterfalls, went swimming in high water, and or went spelunking or river scuba-diving without proper equipment. Small streams running through the limestone near the town of Martvili have carved a series of spectacular caves and canyons. Some are accessible by raft, others have boardwalks built inside. Experience the natural wonders of Georgia!
	Prometheus cave area aroud Kutaisi is considered one of the oldest in the world and was left untouched for a very long time, so that it could preserve the ancient plants and landscapes. Prometheus cave is one of the biggest and most beautiful cave in Europe. Discovered in Imereti region in 1984, Prometheus Cave is one of Georgia’s natural wonders providing visitors with breathtaking examples of stalactites, stalagmites, curtains, petrified waterfalls, cave pearls, underground rivers, and lakes. Legendary Prometheus who under Greek mythology stole fire from Gods was chained to Khvamli Mountain which can be seen from Prometheus Cave, one of the most colorful place in Georgia. Here you can observe stalactites, stalagmites, underground river and lakes, nice 1.2km walk in mysterious and cool atmosphere and short boat trip if interested.

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