Through the ‘153 birds’ drawing competition BirdLife Cyprus received over 300 drawings as well as a lot of enthusiasm, interest and curiosity for the magical world of birds. This great response has exceeded our expectations and we would like to thank everyone who submitted a drawing and supported the campaign!

The effects of manmade climate change are dramatic and uncontested and whereas mitigation still remains a priority, it’s now recognized that adaptation is essential too, because there is no escaping the effects of climate change, whatever we do. BirdLife International has always been advocating ecosystem based adaptation, which is based on the fact that healthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change and our best insurance against its effects. Ecosystem based adaptation follows two main avenues, one which aims to maintain and strengthen resilience of ecosystems and wildlife and one to accommodate change.

On 21 June 2016, we were invited by PwC to the Closing Event for all the projects that won funding under the EEA Grants NGO Fund for Cyprus for the 2009-2014 period. At the event there was a presentation of all the projects that had won funding and two panel discussions on issues relating to managing internationally funded projects, as well as a short exhibition with all the products and deliverables from the different organisations.

One of the oldest handicrafts, whose practice has been fading away in the last decades, is being promoted thanks to the Darwin project for the restoration of Akrotiri Marsh.

The Tamasos and Orinis Bishopric invited BirdLife Cyprus to take part in the summer camps it organises for children. BirdLife Cyprus happily accepted the invitation and gave presentations to children aged 7 to 14, every week throughout July, at Kampos Tsakistras where the summer camps took place.

Our team of skilled local volunteer recorders is once again forming the backbone of our bird monitoring effort for 2016. Added to this on-island team, visiting full-time volunteers are once again making an invaluable input to our 2016 programmes for common breeding birds, nocturnal species, Rollers and forest birds. These dedicated and capable visitors – four in total for various stints this spring and summer – are also putting in the hours keeping tabs on key species at the Akrotiri (Phassouri) Marsh. This provides vital data for the ongoing Darwin funded project giving some much needed attention to this precious wetland (visit the project website for more details and updates).

BirdLife Cyprus successfully held its first Open Day on 14 May 2016, on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day which was on 10 May. Over 80 people attended the event and were informed about BirdLife Cyprus and its actions, birds in Cyprus, bird migration and the persistent problem of illegal bird trapping.

For the 10th year running, BirdLife Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot bird protection society KUŞKOR jointly organized a boat survey of our one-and-only breeding colony of the rare Audouin’s gull Larus audouinii at Kleides islands, off the tip of the Karpasia peninsula.

Only 17 days left to submit your drawing and enter our ‘153 birds’ drawing competition! The competition is open to everyone and we look forward to receiving drawings from young and old from all over Cyprus and abroad! The lucky winners will also be awarded prizes, in two categories: children and teens (up to 17 years old) and adults (over 18 years old). In addition, an exhibition will take place in autumn with selected drawings.

Tomorrow, 10 May 2016, is World Migratory Bird Day. On this occasion, BirdLife Cyprus is organizing its first open day on Saturday 14 May 2016 from 11 am until 2 pm at its offices in Strakka, Kato Deftera, Nicosia, to which it invites young and old to learn about the wonder of migration but also threats migratory birds face.