Successful project start in Belarus

Belarus harbors unparalleled natural landscapes with high biodiversity. White and Black Stork are widespread breeding birds throughout the country. CICONIA therefore launched a project to determine the population situation of the Black Stork and another to increase environmental education. Our project partner from the Ukraine supported us as an intermediary, which lead to a cost-efficient project initiation.

A first teaching aid was designed and tested at numerous schools. The positive feedback and large interest of the teaching staff means the teaching aids will be further developed and distributed on a larger scale throughout the country in 2013. The environmental education project will continue during the next years.

The population of the Black Stork was assessed and nest locations mapped with the help of volunteers, school camps and information from official administrative offices. The results will form the foundation for further conservation actions aimed at this typical inhabitant of undisturbed primary forest.

Our local partners are Irina Samusenko of BirdLife Belarus and Maryna Dzmitranok of the Department of Biological Resources of the National Academy of Sciences in Minsk.