NGOs come together to mark World Wetlands Day

Terra Cypria – the Cyprus Conservation Foundation and Birdlife Cyprus are hosting a public event at the Bird Observatory in Lady’s Mile area on Saturday to mark the World Wetlands Day.

At the event, scheduled from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, people of all ages will be able to enjoy the renovated bird hide of Lake Makria in Zakaki, the birds that inhabit the surrounding wetland through binoculars and telescopes and be informed about the importance of wetlands and their conservation.

It will comply with all applicable health measures against the Covid-19 pandemic and entry will only be permitted upon presentation of SafePass and ID, organisers said.

Lake Makria is a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for habitats and species of flora and fauna, in accordance with British Base Laws on ‘Protection and Development of Game and Wild Birds’ and ‘Conservation of Wildlife and Natural Habitats’.

The area is characterised by rich biodiversity that includes important habitats, plants, birds, invertebrates, and amphibians and one of the few nesting areas of the Ferruginous duck.

The wider area of Lady’s Mile has been included in the framework of the project funded by Darwin Plus Initiative of the United Kingdom – with project partners BirdLife Cyprus (coordinating role), Terra Cypria – The Cyprus Foundation for Environmental Protection, the Department of the Environment of the British Bases and the RSPB (BirdLife in UK) – aiming to restore important wildlife habitats within areas under the British Base Administration, promoting the rational use of these areas while at the same time developing ecotourism opportunities to support the local economy.

The event is organised under the framework of the “MedIsWet” Program, funded by Terra Cypria – The Cyprus Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, the MAVA Foundation – Fondation pour la Nature and the Administration of the Sovereign British Bases (SBAA).