Ichnia National Nature Park is located near Ichnia, in the upper reaches of the Uday River. It was established in 2004 to preserve the typical forest-steppe landscapes of the Left Bank: oak groves, meadows, swamps, and river valleys. The total area of the park is almost 9,700 hectares, including the famous Trostianets Dendropark.
Forests Found Nowhere Else
Forests cover a significant part of the park: oak-pine, oak, and hornbeam-oak forests prevail. Here is a true biological phenomenon — forests where oak, hornbeam, maple, and linden dominate together. Such a combination of species does not exist in other regions of Ukraine. A rare community is the oak-hornbeam forest with periwinkle.
Among the plants are red-listed orchids — the flesh-red and May finger-orchids, coralroot orchid, as well as the forest lily and the common clubmoss. In spring, the forest is covered with snowdrops and lilies of the valley, along with many medicinal herbs.
Reserves within the Park
The park includes previously established protected sites: the hydrological reserves "Knyazky" and "Dovhyi Yar," the landscape tracts "Kuty" and "Volyk," the forest reserves "Kuty," "Luhy," and "Sofiivka-Romanivshchyna," the protected tract "Sofiivka," and the botanical monument "Centuries-old Oak." The protected area covers over 2,100 hectares, while most of the territory is open for regulated recreation.
Trostianets
A separate part of the park is the Trostianets Dendropark, located 50 km from the main territory. It is one of the largest dendrological parks in Ukraine: about 1,700 species and forms of trees and shrubs, 250 flower varieties, and over a hundred decorative conifer forms, making Trostianets the leader in Ukraine by the number of conifers. More details can be found in the article "Trostianets Park “Neskuchne”."
How to Get There
The main territory of the park lies near Ichnia, which can be reached by train or bus from Pryluky, Nizhyn, and Chernihiv. Before your walk, it is advisable to contact the park administration to learn about the eco-trails and rules for visiting the protected area. Nearby is the estate in Kachanivka.
