Celebrating European Natura Day

If we were to list all the reasons to celebrate the environment and the natural world, it would be a long one. Yet celebrations and awareness are needed and this weekend a special day is coming up that does just that. May 21 is the appointed European Natura Day and this year a unique event is taking place in Cyprus to mark it.

The Department of Environment, under the framework of the Pandoteira project, is organising a celebration for the day with activities for children and adults at heart at the Troodos Botanical Garden AG Leventis. From 9am to 4pm visitors will be able to participate in a series of fun activities such as hiking at nature trails, bird ringing, building bird nests, birdwatching, exploring water invertebrates, and joining educational games on sea turtles and tours of the botanical garden. All of the activities are free to attend yet some require registration which can be done online through www.pandoteira.cy site, which also includes the day’s agenda.

The Pandoteira project deals with the management of the Natura 2000 network in Cyprus, with the purpose of making the network more effective and functional, as well as sustainable. “The Natura 2000 European Ecological Network,” say organisers, “is a wide European network of protected natural areas for species of flora, fauna, birds and habitats. Apart from protecting nature and biodiversity, the Natura 2000 network offers us great benefits. For example, the network helps mitigate climate change, protects us from natural disasters, contributes to food security, offers us purified water, attracts visitors thus contributing to the support of regional economies, while at the same time supports full time jobs.

“Join us in celebrating the 30 years from the establishment of the Natura 2000 network by participating in activities that bring us closer to nature!”

European Natura Day 2022

Outdoor activities for children and adults by the Pandoteira Project. May 21. 9am-4pm. www.pandoteira.cy