Waterbirds / Related projects

04 Jul

Permanent Activity
04/07/2023

The Prespa Lakes are a very important breeding ground, particularly for Dalmatian and great white pelicans, but also for other rare waterbirds. In Lesser Prespa Lake, amongst others, 7 species of herons (black-crowned night heron, grey heron, purple heron, little bittern, squacco heron, little egret, great egret), glossy ibis, pygmy cormorant, great cormorant and ferruginous duck nest. Prespa hosts the largest colonies of pygmy cormorants and great egrets in Greece,...

13 Apr

Permanent Activity
13/04/2023

The inundation of farmland in the Lesser Prespa wetlands caused by periodic fluctuations in the level of the lake has long been a pressure point for conservation in the area. Since the 1950s a large part of the wetlands by the lake had been parcelled out into private hands. Many of these privately owned lands are important for the conservation of Prespa’s globally significant wetland biodiversity and/or are situated within...

20 Mar

Current Project
20/03/2025

Acknowledging that working across borders on complex conservation challenges requires close transboundary coordination, the PrespaNet environmental NGO network was established in 2013. It consists of the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) in North Macedonia, the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) in Albania, and the Society for the Protection of Prespa in Greece. Following the implementation of two transboundary projects and building upon their outcomes, PrespaNet organizations have launched the...

20 Mar

Completed project
20/03/2023

Despite their seemingly small length and significance, Prespa’s streams and river, together with their distinct riparian vegetation and habitats, are ecologically important biodiversity hotspots and a valuable source of water and life for Prespa, the lakes and their adjacent wetlands. Aiming to better understand and promote the functions and values of these waterways and riparian habitats on the Greek side of Prespa, the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP)...

05 Jul

Completed project
05/07/2023

The principal aim of this project was to improve the conservation status of the Dalmatian pelican and the pygmy cormorant, but the activities also directly benefited at least 18 other species covered by the Birds Directive. The main actions included the reconstruction of a sluicegate that channels water from Lesser Prespa Lake (Mikri Prespa) into Great Prespa Lake (Megali Prespa), in order to improve water-level management of the former; the...

22 Mar

Completed project
22/03/2023

The gradual reduction of traditional animal husbandry over time, combined with various practical problems, has gradually limited the extent of the managed surfaces around Lesser Prespa Lake. Due to reduced water inflows, mainly because of climate change, the lake’s water level no longer rises sufficiently enough to create wet meadows, and this is leading to further shrinkage of waterbird feeding grounds. In 2016, the Society for the Protection of Prespa...

20 Mar

Completed project
20/03/2023

Acknowledging that working across borders on complicated conservation challenges requires close transboundary co-ordination, the Society for the Protection of Prespa works at several levels to foster such collaboration. One of these is the PrespaNet environmental NGO network consisting of Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) in North Macedonia, Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) in Albania and the SPP in Greece. The PrespaNet Project II is a network project...

05 Jul

Completed project
05/07/2023

Since its foundation, the Society for the Protection of Prespa has had the goal of addressing the most important ecological issue for large waterbirds in Lesser Prespa Lake: the ideal waterbird feeding areas, the shallow waters at the edge of the lake, are extensively dominated by reeds due to the absence of traditional mowing and grazing management practices, resulting in a densely vegetated area where waterbirds cannot feed. In 2001,...