Cover «First Day. Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park»

The Tovtry Ridge stretches for more than 200 kilometres from the Lviv region through Ternopil region, where it is known as the Medobory Hills, across Khmelnytskyi region and down to the Dniester Valley. Here, visitors can discover caves where bats hibernate, limestone outcrops, ancient forests, and, at their feet, humid ravines, the sparkling Dniester River, and picturesque towns and villages. 
Millions of years ago, these hills formed a barrier reef in the Sarmatian Sea, which once covered much of present-day Ukraine. Where forests and steppe grasses grow today, fish, molluscs and other inhabitants of a warm, shallow sea once thrived. Over time, the sea receded, leaving behind a unique landscape rich in wildlife.
Today, Podilski Tovtry is one of Ukraine’s most remarkable biodiversity hotspots. More than 1,500 plant species grow within the National Nature Park, including endemic species and relics of the glacial and post-glacial periods. The park is also home to more than 300 species of vertebrates and around 1,000 species of invertebrates.
Dozens of plant and animal species found in Podilski Tovtry are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Among them are the greater pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis), the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), and the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), all of which are featured on the stamps in this issue.