Τhe LIFE Oroklini project partners, the Game and Fauna Service, BirdLife Cyprus, the Environment Department, the Department of Forests and Voroklini Community Council, invite you to Oroklini Lake on Saturday, 26 May, 5pm to celebrate together the awarding of the restoration project of this important wetland.
Join us at Oroklini Lake bird hide on Saturday 26o of May at 5pm to enjoy the birds of the lake through binoculars and telescopes, to learn more about this unique natural wetland and to enjoy fun activities such as creating bird baths for our garden as well as paper crafts for young and old.
On 23 May, the LIFE Oroklini project will be rewarded as ‘Best LIFE project’ together with 27 other conservation projects funded by the EU. This award recognizes the effort for the restoration of Oroklini Lake, a Natura 2000 site which is now a refuge for over 190 bird species, many of them migratory, and also highlights the importance of protecting important areas for wildlife as well as the importance of targeted funding programs such as LIFE.
The three-year LIFE Oroklini project achieved effective protection of the lake by eliminating key threats to the lake. Oroklini Lake, as many other protected areas of the Natura 2000 network, which are close to inhabited areas, faces many man-made pressures. Because of its importance for biodiversity, and especially for birds, such as the Spur-winged Lapwing and the Black-winged Stilt that breed there, a coordinated effort began in 2012, funded by the EU LIFE program, to restore and manage the lake. The LIFE Oroklini project included targeted management actions, such as fencing the wetland to reduce disturbance to important bird species, water level management, creation of nesting islands for birds, and more. A crucial role in the successful realisation of this project was played by the implementing bodies, the Game and Fauna Service, BirdLife Cyprus, the Department of Forests, the Environment Department and the Voroklini Community Council.
Today, thanks to the project, Oroklini Lake has been transformed into an area of outstanding natural value. Visitors can enjoy the lake and its wildlife by visiting the bird hides that were created under the project and learn more about it through the information material that is available on-site. Oroklini Lake attracts many visitors, both local and foreign, from seasoned birdwatchers to schools and families who come to enjoy this natural jewel.
The May 26o event is free and open to the public. To help us better organize the event, and due to limited space, please register for the bird bath activity by Thursday 24 May on 22455072, 97890004 or at natalie.stylianou@birdlifecyprus.org.cy