The inhabitants of Nemunas delta are encouraged to familiarize themselves with their winged neighbors
Today, the environmental conservation organization, Baltic Environmental Forum, has invited the representatives from the local communities, media as well as national institutions, to Silutes agricultural school to present the results of the project “The establishment of mechanisms that maintain good conditions for open habitats in Nemunas Delta Regional Park”. While distributing publications that were prepared during the span of the project, the environmentalists were encouraging visitors to inquire what kind of winged neighbors live nearby and what kind of effect does local human activity have on them.
“The fertile grasslands of Nemunas delta are equally used by farmers as they are used by other local inhabitants- birds, bugs, animals. And who is to say who has the primary right to their use? Perhaps it shouldn’t even be contemplated, because everyone will defend their own personal interests. Perhaps it would be better to coexist peacefully and to take advantage of the mutual benefits that arise from building fellowships? “- deliberated the director of the Baltic Environmental Forum, Žymantas Morkvėnas.
Environmentalists are certain that the natural resources available at Nemunas delta can attract many tourists from all over the world, where as their presence in the region can bring financial benefits to the region and aid farmers who preserve the environment.
“Such a system- is our vision for the Nemunas delta region. This project, as much as others in the region, are oriented towards an incremental creation of an equivalent system. Of course, it will require a lot of time, work and both the desire and motivation of local inhabitants, in order to create a self-sustaining system. And where does motivation arise from? We would like to think- from love and knowledge. That is why we are inviting the local inhabitants to familiarize themselves with the birds that live in their grasslands, to observe their unique way of life and to learn about their individual stories.” – says one of the authors of a publication about the values of Nemunas delta, Rita Norvaišaitė.
Throughout the duration of the project, there were 38 short and abundantly illustrated reports published about the birds of Nemunas delta, their habitats and other resources found in the surrounding lands. One can find the publications at the Nemunas delta regional parks’ visitors center in Rusne, the Baltic environmental forum website (www.bef.lt) or at the online reading room (Issuu.com). The authors encourage everyone to use them without hesitation, to download, print and share them with friends. Moreover, during the project a high-tracked agricultural machine was acquired with which a territory of around 900 ha was mowed, and a festival in nature “Midst of the Waters” was organized with the help of local inhabitants. The project was partially funded by the European Economic Area program.
