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This year’s trip to fit transmitters on Dalmatian pelicans at Lake Kerkini before the breeding season gets underway was successfully carried out as planned! The SPP team placed transmitters on nine of these magnificent wild birds, enabling us to learn more about their movements and the risks they face over their lifetime. This activity was carried out with the support of the Kerkini Branch of the Management Unit for the...

07 February, 2024

The Prespa wetlands are globally recognized for their contribution to biodiversity, providing a suitable 'home' for many flora and fauna species. At the same time, they play a significant role in the well-being of the residents.But what do Prespa wetlands mean for children? What elements do they identify, and to which of these do they attribute a crucial role?Through their paintings, the students at the Primary School of Agios Germanos...

05 February, 2024

The Municipality of Prespa has once again ensured a certified company has collected Prespa’s empty agrochemical containers, ensuring their safe transportation and disposal. Although this is a costly process due to our distance from the recycling centre, it is essential for protecting Prespa's surface and groundwaters from the toxic contents of this packaging.Αs part of the 'Prespa's Green and Blue LifeLines' project, the SPP has donated 14 special new bins...

01 February, 2024

An incredibly rare winter visitor has been spotted in Prespa for the first time! The red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis) is one of the smallest wild geese in the world.The features of this goose are the contrasts of black and white in its plumage, and the chestnut-crimson shades on the lower part of its neck, abdomen, and cheeks.Its presence in Prespa caused quite a stir, as this species is usually found...

31 January, 2024

It’s not even the end of January and the first 40 Dalmatian pelicans have already shown up in Prespa and valiantly built their nests amidst the winter snows!As we’ve seen in recent years, these iconic birds are arriving here earlier and earlier due to the mild winters, a result of climate change.Let’s give our brave pelicans a helping hand - by not fishing too close to the colonies and disturbing...

26 January, 2024

The co-signatory 19 Environmental Organizations express our complete opposition to the proposal announced today by the European Commission to degrade the wolf's protection status under the Bern Convention and we call on the Greek government to proceed to its rejection during the Council of Environment Ministers that will be held.A few days ago, we joined with almost 300 European organizations, who addressed a new open letter to the EC President,...

20 December, 2023

Last week the SPP team visited the pelican colony of Lake Cheimaditis up close for the first time ever!We set out by boat to see what the characteristics and quality of the colony nests were. Access to the pelican colonies here is tricky, however, because they are located in remote areas that are well protected by dense vegetation, so a good knowledge of the area and the appropriate equipment were...

16 November, 2023

The Society for the Protection of Prespa joined in the final workshop of the project MediterRE3 “REstoring REsilience of Mediterranean landscapes to REduce GHG emissions from wildfires” and a meeting of the partners of the Medforval network from 02 – 05 October, held in Luberon, France.The project meeting included a detailed presentation of the important biodiversity of the Luberon Regional Park, host to 30% of the country’s flora and the...

10 October, 2023

From 26th to 28th September the Society for the Protection of Prespa took part in the 5th European Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change: Riverine and Coastal Wetlands, held in Bonn, Germany. The programme was filled with inspiring talks, exciting discussions, engaging workshops and presentations from experts, policy makers and scientists.We explored how nature-based solutions for wetland and river restoration can both benefit biodiversity and help combat climate change. We...

06 October, 2023

PrespaNet, a network of environmental NGOs dedicated to the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the transboundary Prespa Lakes Basin, is proud to be passing its 10th anniversary this year! Founded in 2013 by three organisations with a rich history of environmental stewardship in the region – the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP), the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), and Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in...

22 September, 2023

Our research on the landscapes of Prespa, in collaboration with the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anrthropos (MedINA), is coming to an end. Our report Landscape Study of the Municipality of Prespa which is part of the project “Landscape Public Participation Tools – LPPT” presents an approach on landscape management of Prespa’s landscapes integrating public participation procedures.The research lasted for 2 years and included the following steps:1. We recognized the...

01 August, 2023

The rivers and streams of Prespa are an integral part of the region, as they are inextricably linked to the activities and life of the locals, while they demonstrate an important element for visitors of the area.How are they affected by the climate crisis? What are the problems they face and which is their influence on humans?These are only two questions of the research conducted by the Society for the...

28 July, 2023

Η αξία του τοπίου της Πρέσπας αναγνωρίζεται τόσο από τους κατοίκους όσο και από τους επισκέπτες της περιοχής, και αναδεικνύεται σε πολλά κείμενα πολιτικής. Η εικόνα των λιμνών, του Αγ. Αχιλλείου και των βουνών που περιβάλλουν τις λίμνες είναι κατά γενική ομολογία εμβληματική. Ποια είναι όμως τα χαρακτηριστικά αυτών των τοπίων και πώς διαμορφώθηκαν; Ποιοι παράγοντες επηρέασαν την εξέλιξή τους; Ποια είναι η διαχείρισή τους και ποιες πολιτικές τα επηρεάζουν...

05 July, 2023

Biodiversity and Conservation Transboundary Educational Field Monitoring Experience07th – 12th August 2023, Stenje, North Macedonia - Application Deadline: Sunday, 16 July 2023Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) in collaboration with its PrespaNet partners PPNEA (Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania), and Society for Protection of Prespa (SPP from Greece), will organize the network’s 5th transboundary summer school titled “PRESPAnning”, which will take place between 07-12 August 2023.The summer school...

24 June, 2023

Η  Εταιρία Προστασίας Πρεσπών αναζητά δυο (2) Βοτανικούς Πεδίου για τη συλλογή χλωριδικών δεδομένων από την περιοχή του όρους Σφήκα (Τρικλάριο) κατά τη διάρκεια του Ιουνίου 2023.Σκοπός της δράσης είναι η ενίσχυση της βάσης δεδομένων Flora Prespae Database με νέα δεδομένα πεδίου από περιοχές του Εθνικού Πάρκου Πρεσπών και των γειτονικών σε αυτό περιοχών (GR1340009 & GR1340010). Παράλληλα, στόχος είναι και η περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη της συλλογής φυτικών δειγμάτων του SPP Herbarium, ενός...

28 May, 2023

International recognition for the work of SPP and its partners on water governance in the transboundary Prespa ParkThe persistent and systematic work of the Society for the Protection of Prespa over the last two decades, advocating for the establishment and operation of an interstate cross-border collaboration scheme in the Prespa basin, with special emphasis on joint water management, has recently been recognised by the global community organised under the UN...

26 May, 2023

Αξιότιμε κύριε Πρωθυπουργέ,Mε την παρούσα επιστολή, οι υπογράφουσες περιβαλλοντικές οργανώσεις επιθυμούμε να σας εκφράσουμε την απογοήτευση μας για το περιεχόμενο των ρυθμίσεων και τον απαράδεκτα σύντομο χρόνο διαβούλευσης του νομοσχεδίου του Υπουργείου Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας, που πρόκειται να τεθεί προς συζήτηση και ψήφιση την επόμενη εβδομάδα ενώπιον της Ολομέλειας της Βουλής των Ελλήνων, με τίτλο «Μετονομασία της Ρυθμιστικής Αρχής Ενέργειας σε Ρυθμιστική Αρχή Αποβλήτων, Ενέργειας και Υδάτων και διεύρυνση του...

20 March, 2023

It's World Wetlands Day today, and exactly 23 years ago the prime ministers of the 3 littoral states established the transboundary Prespa Park, following a proposal of the Society for the Protection of Prespa and WWF Greece.It took a great deal of time and effort, but just before this year’s anniversary of the Prespa Park, on Tuesday 31st January, the environmental organisations that have consistently and patiently asked and, more...

02 February, 2023

Wetland & degradationThe wetlands of the Prespa basin have long been recognised as providing refuge to important biodiversity, while also playing a central role in the well-being of the local communities that have evolved around them over the centuries. Nonetheless, both lakes are not impervious to human-induced pressures, including climate change, which has been leading to increasing degradation of their wetlands in recent years. Long-term drought events, reduced precipitation and...

02 February, 2023