MagazineJANUARY - APRIL 2014

NATIONAL PARK OF EAST MACEDONIA - THRACE

1. A Dalmatian pelican released in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace

4. Public presentation and consultation on the results of the project “Developing tourism and handling visitors in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace”

5. Voluntary activity – Cleaning of the Riverside Forest of Keramoti

6. Construction of a floating platform for terns in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace

7. Mid-winter Surveys of Waterbirds in the NPEMT

8. International Day of Forests and Water in the National Park of Eastern

Macedonia-Thrace

9. Welcoming the swallows in the National

Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace

3. Events for World Wetlands Day 2014

2. Report on the activities of 2013, programming for 2014 and cutting of the New Year’s cake

A Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) released in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace

On 28/02/2014 a Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) was released at Porto Lagos La-goon by personnel of the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Man-agement Body. This Dalmatian pelican was found in a notice-ably weakened state in the facili-ties of the Vistonida Fishermen Cooperative “Agios Nikolaos”. As soon as foresters Dimitrios

Chatzipanagiotou and Archontis Ranos of the Xanthi Forest Di-rectorate, who happened to be in the area, became aware of the exhausted bird, in cooperation with the contractor of the Manag-ing Body for the project “Estimation of the impact of cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) population increase on fish populations in the National Park’s lagoons”, they contacted the Manage-ment Body. Employees of the Management Body rushed to the area to collect the bird, which was then sent to the organization “Action for Wildlife”. As a result, on Friday, February 28, 2014 the Dalmatian pelican was returned to its natural habitat, the Porto Lagos Lagoon!

Events for World Wetlands Day 2014

This year, celebra-tions in the context of World Wetlands Day in the Nation-al Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace comprised several events. A total of 141 students from the Region of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace had the opportunity to think about the environment, ex-periment and enjoy themselves by par-ticipating in games, attending screen-

ings, and using scientific equipment to take measurements in the Information Center for Lakes Vistonida-Ismarida and the Nestos Delta Information Center. The students’ tour to the heron colony in Porto Lagos, the Riverside Forest of Kera-moti and the relevant information centers offered the young friends of the National Park a chance to experience at first hand the area’s rich flora and fauna. The theme of this year’s celebrations for World Wetlands Days was “Wetlands and Agriculture”; this was the subject of educational activities, where emphasis was given to the interaction between agri-culture and wetland systems, their importance for humans and wildlife, and the need to achieve a harmonious relation-ship. The event was completed with great success with a workshop held in Komotini on February 3, where critical issues pertain-ing to the interrelation between wetlands and agriculture in the wider area of the National Park were presented.

More specifically, the following were discussed:• The phenomenon of salinization in areas of the NPEMT; • Successful pilot projects for reducing irrigation water con-sumption (FIGARO, Agroless); • A program about the rational use of plant protection prod-ucts and the management of empty containers (ECOPEST); • The value of local cultivars and alternative cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants.The new program of the Managing Body entitled “Quality

and cooperation with NPEMT labelling” was particularly well-received; this is aimed at agricultural producers and entre-preneurs in NPEMT, who implement integrated management systems, or environmentally friendly practices with respect to energy and resources on the basis of the approved plan. This program will allow them to gain a competitive advan-tage in local and international markets. Among the rappor-teurs were local government representatives, university pro-fessors, researchers, producers, and organic farmers active inside and beyond the area of the National Park, as well as representatives of local associations; farmers also exhibited their produce in a small fair organized in the grounds were the workshop was held.

Report on the activities of 2013, programming for 2014 and cutting of the New Year’s cake

On Wednesday, January 29, 2014 the 1st Management Board of the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Management Body was held at the facilities of the Information Center for Lakes Vistonida-Ismarida in Porto Lagos. The meeting commenced with a report on the activities of the Body for the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace for the previous year (2013); subsequently the President of the Management Board, Dr Manos Koutrakis, outlined the activities scheduled for 2014. As Dr Koutrakis noted, 2013 proved an important year for NPEMT, as during its course most of the scheduled projects were implemented. More specifically, 19 projects were scheduled, of which 7 were completed, while contracts have been signed for the remaining 12 and it is expected that they will be completed by 2015. These projects involve programs of scientific monitoring of wildlife species in NPEMT, the procurement of vehicles, material and equipment for volunteers, the construction of a storehouse etc. The traditional cutting of the New Year’s cake followed. This year, Mr. Theodoros Berberidis had the good fortune of finding the lucky coin in his slice of cake; as a gift he received an exquisite album published by the Hellenic Post (ELTA), entitled Life in the Greek Seas. Benthos and Pelagos by Giannis Issaris and Maria Salomidi. The meeting was adjourned with everyone expressing their wishes for a better future for the protected areas and the Management Body of NPEMT.

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Public presentation and consultation on the results of the project “Developing tourism and handling visitors in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace”

On Friday, March 7, 2014 the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismari-da Management Body and the contractor of the project “D. Tsiaras-D. Palaskas Partner-ship” organized a public pres-entation and final consultation on the results of the project “Developing tourism and han-dling visitors in the protected area of the National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thra-ce”, in the context of the imple-mentation of action “Protec-tion and Conservation of Biodi-

versity in NPEMT” of the Operational Program Environment and Sustainable Growth 2007-2013. The event was held at the Nestos Delta Information Center in Keramoti and its orienta-tion was informative and interactive, with the aim of promot-ing cooperation with the region’s tour-ism professionals, as well as with the competent bodies on issues of local touristic development. Furthermore, the event sought to inform local bodies and social groups about the results of the project, and seek consultation for further initiatives/actions pertaining to ecotourism activities in the National Park and its wider area. G. Geromarkos, Regional Vice Gover-nor responsible for development and tourism, V. Kabouris, deputy mayor of the Nestos Municipality, tourism pro-fessionals, representatives of various organizations, as well as people living in the area took part in the event. Delivering his concluding address, Dr Manos Koutrakis, Presi-dent of the Management Board, stated that after accepting this work, and in the context of the Body’s capabilities, the Manage-ment Body now has at its disposal a significant amount of in-formation and the infrastructure to support the development of tourism in the area; the Management Body will continue its efforts to utilize these for the benefit of both the protected area and tourism professionals. We sincerely hope that the competent authorities and the peo-ple of the area will aid us in this work.

Voluntary activity – Cleaning of the Riverside Forest of Keramoti

Sunday, April 6 was a special day for the Riv-erside Forest of Kera-moti!Members of the Volun-teer Network, people from local associations and bodies, as well as the friends of NPEMT with their families, joined forces to clean up the surviving part of the Great Forest of

River Nestos, next to the settlement of Keramoti. The event was supported by the Nestos Municipality, who provided a truck for disposing of the waste collected, and the Forest Directorate of Kavala, whose representatives took active part in the clean-ing efforts.The event commenced with a briefing on the actions to which the network’s volunteers can participate, followed by a presen-tation about the Riverside Forest of Keramoti that showcased its unique characteristics. By protecting it and raising its profile, this forest can become a point of reference for Keramoti and the wider area.Participants received informational material compiled specifi-cally for them, like a Species Identification Guide containing the most important species in the National Park, t-shirts and caps for the relevant actions. A total of 70 individuals participated, among them children who were greatly amused and gave their best. People belonging to all age groups were inclined to partici-pate: our youngest volunteer was just 6 months, while the most senior 76 years old!

Construction of a floating platform for terns in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace

Because of human inter-ventions, the shallow sand islets in the lagoons have al-most vanished; these places in the past were safe breed-ing grounds for seabirds, like the tern. Nowadays, ar-tificial islets or floating plat-forms are often created in protected areas as a means to aid the reproduction of

certain species, thus allowing their numbers to recover.The Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Management Body, utiliz-ing funds from the Green Fund, has constructed a floating plat-form with the guidance and help of Mr. Antonis Iliadis and Mr. Panagiotis Chatzigianidis, employees of the Lake Kerkini Man-aging Body. Its purpose is to enhance the reproductive capabil-

ity of terns. The species expected to benefit from the platform are the gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), which is endan-gered and classified as “Vulnerable” in the Red Book of Endan-gered Species of Greece, and the little tern (Sternula albifrons).Following its construction, the first platform was carried and placed in the Alikes Lagoon of Nea Kessani and is now expect-ing its first visitors. This is a wooden floating platform measur-ing 3x4 m; its surface has been covered with material occur-ring naturally in the area, to resemble a natural islet as much as possible.

Mid-winter Surveys of Waterbirds in the NPEMT

As in previous years, this year’s Mid-winter Surveys of Waterbirds in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace were successfully completed. The Mid-winter Surveys are carried out each year by the Hellenic Ornithological Society and form part of a Global Program by Wetlands International. These surveys constitute the longest running biodiversity monitoring program. The surveys focus mainly on waterbird and wader species, without excluding, of course, certain species of predators and seabirds. In our region, the surveys were carried out on January 14 and 15, 2014, covering the entire area of NPEMT, from the Nestos Delta, the Keramoti lagoons, Lake Vistonida, Porto Lagos, and the Thracian lagoons, to Lake Ismarida. The Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Management Body, like every year, provided the necessary equipment, transportation and naturally participated with its staff to the surveys conducted in the areas of NPEMT. For yet another year, these surveys revealed the extremely rich birdlife, and in general the great biodiversity of our region – this makes us all responsible for preserving this natural heritage for future generations.

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FlamingosNow there are more than 6,000 flamingos in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, offering a majestic sight to the park’s visitors. The flamingos are birds of the Phoenicopterus genus; these waterbirds attract attention because of their graceful, slender silhouette and the pink/red color of their wings. They stand out mainly on account of their characteristic long legs and unusually elongated necks, as well as because of their peculiar curved bills. They fish in a unique way: they scoop mud and turning their beak upside down inside the water they separate water and mud, trapping small shellfish, insects, worms and small shrimp. The flamingo is a regular migratory visitor seen in Greece usually in March, on its flight to the north, and in September/October, on its return to Africa. They mainly make stopovers in the wetlands of Thrace; a number of birds, however, overwinter in the area’s wetlands.

International Day of Forests and Water in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace The United Nations has designated March 21st and 22nd as In-ternational Day of Forests and International Day of Water (in 1971 and 1992, respectively), to raise awareness on the value of forests and water as sources of life, and the need to conserve them. The National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace (NPEMT) has the privilege of comprising both the rare Riverside Forests of Nestos, Kosynthos, and Vosvozis, as well as 21 lagoons and three lake complexes, features which render it the largest wet-land park in Greece: roughly 40,000 out of the park’s total area of 230,000 acres are wetland expanses.On the occasion of the International Day of Forests and the In-ternational Day of Water, the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida

Management Body wel-comed students of the Keramoti gymnasium, and informed them about the important Riverside Forest of Nestos, its unique characteristics, its functions, and its impor-tance for everyday life, and suggested ways in which it can be protected and preserved. The event was rounded off with a

walk in the small, yet important surviving part of the forest at Keramoti, which involved the identification of rare species of plants, and bird-watching in the nearby lagoon.

Welcoming the swallows in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace

On Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27, March 2014, the Nestos Delta-Vis-tonida-Ismarida Management Body in cooperation with the Hellenic Ornitho-logical Society and with the participa-tion of elementary schools from the regional units of Kavala and Xanthi, organized an event entitled “Chelido-nismata”.This festive event is held to greet the coming of spring and the swallows, and takes place late in March each year. Its aim is to provide information and raise aware-ness on the arrival of the swallows, their long journey, and the threats they are fac-ing, encouraging children to help them by crafting clay nests for them.A total of 50 third-grade students from the Elementary School of Keramoti and the 10th Elementary School of Xanthi par-ticipated in the event. Over the course of two days, young students flocked to the Nestos Delta Information Center at Keramoti and the Lake Ismarida-Vistonida Information Center at Porto Lagos; in high spirits, they put all of their skill into making nests for the swallows.

Ο Φορέας Διαχείρισης Δέλτα Νέστου – Βιστωνίδας – Ισμαρίδας σε συνεργασία με την Ελληνική Ορνιθολογική Εταιρεία και τη συμμετοχή σχολείων της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης ΠΕ Καβάλας

και ΠΕ Ξάνθης, διοργανώνουν εκδήλωση με θέμα «Χελιδονίσματα».

Την Τετάρτη 26 Μαρτίου 2014 και ώρα 9:00 στο Κέντρο Πληροφόρησης Λιμνών Βιστωνίδας - Ισμαρίδας στο Πόρτο Λάγος.

Την Πέμπτη 27 Μαρτίου 2014 και ώρα 9:00 στο Κέντρο Πληροφόρησης Δέλτα Νέστου στην Κεραμωτή.

INFORMATION CENTRE OF THE LAKES VISTONIDA - ISMARIDAPORTO LAGOS - REGIONAL DISTRICT OF XANTHI (Management Body’s seat)Tel.: 25410 96646, fax: 25410 96924, e-mail: info@fd-nestosvistonis.gr

INFORMATION CENTRE OF THE NESTOS DELTA KERAMOTI - REGIONAL DISTRICT OF KAVALA (behind the High School)

Tel.: 25910 51831, fax: 25910 51884, e-mail: infonestos@fd-nestosvistonis.gr

The Information Centres are open for the public: Monday-Friday 9:30 to 15:30(during weekends and holidays visits are arranged by appointment)

www.epamath.gr

www.facebook.com/fdnestos

We protect and promote our natural wealth. We participate actively through volunteering activities of the Management

Agency of the Nestos Delta of the lakes Vistonida - Ismarida and contribute to maintaining the ecological value of the Na-tional Park of Eastern Macedonia - Thrace. Together we can!

“We take action, we live the result”