On the territory of two neighbouring districts, Gatchina and Luga, between the four settlements: Mshinskoe, Thicket, Marcovici and the Malaya Konyushennaya, is comprehensive Federal reserve "Mshinskoe swamp".

The reserve was established after the adoption of the decision of Lenin regional Executive Committee on 29 March 1976. The main purpose of its creation – guard intact the largest bog in the Leningrad region, which includes seven lakes and where are the origins of the eight rivers. In the early 80-ies of the sanctuary transformed into a Republican, and in 1994, by decree of the Russian Government, attached to wetlands of international importance "Mshinskoe marsh system".

Area of the reserve is more than 69 thousand hectares and 9 thousand hectares is occupied by lakes, the largest of which are strečno and Vale. In natural complex also includes lake Deaf, Localise, Osaka, Litvina, raised bogs, which are a kind of framing of the lakes, Loon lakes, the sources of the rivers of Rakitina and Selezenki (South).

The reserve covers an area in the watershed of the river and the Lizard. The map shows that the reserve has an elongated in the meridional direction form. The array consists of 10 raised sercovich separately and wetlands located, which abundantly grows the Heather and ocherednik white.

A small portion of the reserve is occupied by pine-shrub-sphagnum bogs.

Northwest of the array of the reserve is under mesoeutrophic arrays and grass-rotational-sphagnum bogs, along the shore which borders the firebox cereality. There are black alder swamp and South of the border lands. Molosovskie lake in the South-East of the massif is surrounded by several eutrophic key wetlands overgrown with Ginobili mosses, caroolsantini, grasses, sorrel, marigold, orchids (moonwort virgin and Lesnyak Lesele). Flora of lakes is diverse. There is a thicket horsetail, sphagnum splaine, reed, cattail, pondweed floating, potbelly, the most typical are straight, lilies and Naiad. In the early 20th century in the lakes Strecno Vale was water seeded rice.

The reserve grows 636 species of vascular plants and about 130 species of musci. In the forests along lakes and marshes dominated by conifers, there is a spruce Dubravnaya with maple and lungwort. Grow here kishlachnik and blueberries, wild ginger, ground. You can often find birch and aspen.

The fauna is typical for the southern taiga subzone. The reserve population live ermines, Zaycev-hares, badgers, ROE deer, marten, brown bear, weasels, otters, bobcats. In 1950, in lake strečno and Vale family were released muskrat black form, which is found here and now. Meet in the sanctuary and rare species of birds. It is home to quail, Golden Plover, red-necked grebes, white storks, black kites, medium and large Curlews, great bittern, grey and ptarmigan, osprey, cranes, stock doves, great grey owl, great grey Shrike. In the nooks lakes nest Teal-trescone, shoveler, marsh Harrier, pochard. In the course of research zoologists have discovered a rare species of reptiles and amphibians – the blind worm brittle, crested newt. There are also the edible frog, sand lizard, grass snake.

Especially protected by law in the reserve are water bodies of lakes and rare species of animals and plants – moonwort virgin, loznak Lesele, Naiad large, leafless orchids and sand lizard, crested newt, osprey, white and black storks, quail, common crane, white and grey partridge, great grey Shrike, badger, ROE deer, black muskrat, lynx, otter.

Despite the fact that the reserve 99% bordered by forests, ecosystems serious threats are expanding in the direction of protected land areas of the private sector, networks of communication and areas for recreation.

The reserve is strictly prohibited deforestation, construction, laying communications, carrying out reclamation work, hunting, fishing from boats.