We are now within the Trykraty section of the Buzkyi Gard National Nature Park. This protected landscape was established to preserve the heart of the Southern Bug – its rocky banks, forests, open steppe expanses, and the rare species that find refuge here. Across more than six thousand hectares, nature follows its own rhythms, while the role of conservationists is to protect, restore, and pass this unique heritage on to future generations.
Arbuzynka Canyon lies in the central part of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield, within the Dnipro Upland. In the valleys of rivers and ravines, ancient granite formations emerge at the surface, shaping steep cliffs, stone labyrinths, and rapid-filled channels of small rivers and streams. Some of these cliffs rise 30 to 50 meters high, creating the striking impression of a mountain landscape in the midst of the vast southern Ukrainian steppe.
The park is alive with remarkable biodiversity. Hundreds of plant species grow here, alongside dozens of mammals and hundreds of species of birds, fish, and insects. Nearly nine hundred plant species have been recorded, and insect species number in the thousands. More than one hundred and fifty animal species found in this region are considered rare and are protected not only at the national level, but also across Europe and internationally. Certain natural habitats are so distinctive that they are included on international conservation lists as areas of exceptional ecological value.
Although the region’s natural vegetation has undergone significant change, pockets of true steppe still survive along the slopes of ravines and river valleys. Scientists describe them as forb–fescue–feather grass steppe communities. In simpler terms, these are steppes dominated by feather grass, fescue, and a rich variety of wild grasses and flowering plants that together create the vibrant mosaic of the steppe. On the rocky outcrops, one can also find remarkable survivors such as juniper, growing with almost no soil, its roots reaching deep into cracks in the granite.
The name “Buzkyi Gard” is directly connected to the history of the Bug-Gard Palanka of the Zaporizhian Sich. Here, at the crossroads of natural routes, unique landscapes, ancient geological formations, and centuries of Cossack history come together – a legacy whose echo can still be felt in every stone of this canyon.