Magazine MAY - AUGUST 2014 NATIONAL PARK OF EAST MACEDONIA - THRACE 1. May 22, 2014 - World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) 2. Compilation of a Layman’s Guide to Identifying Species in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace (NPEMT) 3. Smartphone applications for navigating in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace 4.Events for World Environment Day 2014 5. Cleaning up of the Heron 7. Third National colony at Porto Lagos Heron Census 8. Ringing and 6. Mass fish death in census of the white Lake Vistonida stork in NPEMT 1 Compilation of a Layman’s Smartphone applications for 3 Events for World May 22, 2014 - World Fish Guide to Identifying Species navigating in the National Park Environment Day 2014 Migration Day (WFMD) 2 in the National Park of Eastern of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace 4 On the occasion of World Environment Day, which is celebrated on June 5th every year, the Management Body organized ac- May 24th has been designated World Fish Migration Day to Macedonia-Thrace (NPEMT) The Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Management Body in the tions to provide information and raise public awareness on en- raise awareness on the problems facing fish populations that context of the project “Developing tourism and handling visitors The Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Management Body has vironmental issues. become trapped because of hu- in the protected area of the National Park of Eastern Macedonia created a Layman’s Guide to Identifying Species in the National The main events were the man interventions, like dams, and Thrace”, carried out through the “Protection and Conserva- Park of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace in the context of the project youth fests held under the which prevent fish from migrat- tion of Biodiversity in NPEMT” action incorporated in the Opera- “Support for Protected Areas Management Bodies 2012” – auspices of the Xanthi Mu- ing for reproductive purposes. tional Program Environment and Sustainable Development (EP- Green Fund of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate nicipality, in cooperation with The Nestos Delta - Vistonida - Change. the Xanthi Elementary and Ismarida Management Body, in This guide is an introductory reference work for those wishing Secondary Education Directo- cooperation with the Hellenic to learn more about the area of the National Park of Eastern rate, on June 5, in the Central Fisheries Research Institute Macedonia- Thrace, and includes the most important and most Square of Xanthi. Environmental games were organized from (INALE) and in the context of the early morning hours, with dozens of students having fun the World Fish Migration Day characteristic species found there, with the aim of promoting while learning about the environment. 2014 events, on Thursday, May the richness of local wildlife and NPEMT’s important role in con- On the same day, an experiential visit was organized for the 22 carried out an educational servation efforts. Volakas village Elementary School: it involved the students action at the Toxotes irrigation The region of the NPEMT is blessed with extremely diverse walking in the Riverside Forest of Keramoti and observing the dam, with the participation of el- fauna and flora, and features a great variety of habitats. The lagoon’s birdlife, coming into contact with the wetland’s flora ementary school students from guide, published in both Greek and English, will aid in identifying and fauna. Xanthi and Kavala. species of fish, serpents, amphibians, birdlife, mammals, inver- On Sunday, June 8, at 18:30 an awards presentation took Present at this event was Ms. tebrates, as well as the types of habitat one can find in the area. place for a school painting competition on the theme “Bird and Eirini Sioki, Chief Environmen- The Species Identification Guide is available to visitors of the fish migration” in the Xanthi Municipal Gallery, organized in tal Projects Officer at the Elementary Education Directorate of National Park at the two Information Centers operating in PERAA), received cooperation with the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Regional Kavala regional unit, Dr Manos Koutrakis, President of the Man- NPEMT: in the Information Center for Lakes Vistonida-Ismarida two navigation Directorate of Elementary and Secondary Education, with the agement Body and Regular Researcher with INALE, who briefed at Porto Lagos of Xanthi, and in the Nestos Delta Information applications for participation of fifth- and sixth-graders studying in the regional teachers and students on fish migration, the reasons behind Center at Keramoti of Kavala. smartphones and units of Kavala, Xanthi, and Rhodope; 179 student paintings this phenomenon, and the obstacles fish come up against, and tablets, with the were submitted in total, including 33 non-competitive paintings Dr Argyris Kallaniotis, Director of INALE, who addressed educa- aim of offering drawn by first-graders. tors and students, explaining INALE’s work. visitors a modern technological tool that would allow easy ac- Winners: A demonstration of fish specimen collection techniques ensued cess to basic information contained in the new tourist map of • 1st Prize: Vassiliki Varvara Plevridi, student in the 1st Xanthi in the river with the use of electro-fishing carried out by INALE’s this prized protected area, and providing specific suggested Elementary School. scientific staff: this method allows the collection of stunned fish, routes (using a car, bicycle, or on foot). • 2nd Prize: Nike Varelidou, student in the 10th Xanthi Elemen- without harming the specimens. Subsequently, the scientific The first is an offline application, i.e. does not require an active tary School. staff of the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Management Body internet connection to function. This is a file in a format suitable • 3rd Prize: Shared by Katerina Moschidou, student in the 4th took measurements of Nestos’ physico-chemical parameters in for navigating NPEMT’s area using CarryMap Observer, a free Xanthi Elementary School, and Nancy Tsasmea, student in the the same spot. application visitors can download on their phones from Google 1st Xanthi Elementary School (tie). Finally, the students of the 2nd Elementary School of Xanthi Play and the Apple Store. All winners received a t-shirt printed with read out their class’s resolution, which called for the construc- The second is an online application (requires an internet con- the painting with which they participated, tion of a fishway in the Toxotes irrigation dam. nection), in which users can employ their device’s browser to while all participants were given a com- gain access to basic information of the tourist map, combined ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗΣΕΘΝΙΚΟ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑΣ ΠΑΡΚΟ memorative cap, a Guide to Birdlife for Εκδήλωση Απονομής Βραβείων with maps publicly available to users (OpenStreetMap, Esri -ΘΡΑΚΗΣ Children and a Participation Commen- ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 8 ΙΟΥΝΙΟΥ 2014 Global Imagery). dation. A certificate of participation στη ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗΏρα ΠΙΝΑΚΟΘΗΚΗ 6:30 μ.μ. Ξάνθης This is the relevant link: http://www.fd-nestosvistonis.gr/eco- στο πλα was also presented to the winners’ ίσιο του Διαγωνισμού Ζωγραφικής που διοργανώθηκε με συνεργασία tourism/mobilemap/ του Φ.Δ. Δέλτα Νέστου της Περιφερειακής Δ/νσης Εκπαίδευσης Α.Μ «Η μετανάστευση των πουλιών και των ψαριών» schools. -Βιστωνίδας -Ισμαρίδας και To start navigating a password is required, available to all visi- .Θ., με θέμα: ΧΟΡΗΓΟΙ tors at NPEMT’s two Information Centers. Πληροφορίες Φορέας Διαχείρισης: Δέλτα Νέστου The navigation functionality requires GPS to be activated on the τηλ. 25410.96646-Βιστωνίδας www .epamath -Ισμαρίδας info@fd .gr -nestosvistonis.gr devices running the two applications. Cleaning up of the Heron 5 Mass fish death in Lake 7 colony at Porto Lagos Vistonida system. Specimens of dead fish were sent to the Animal Health Third National Heron Census Service to investigate the possible influence of other factors On Saturday, July 5 the first voluntary action for the summer 6 On the evening of July 18, the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida contributing to the mass death (e.g. pesticides, etc.). In recent years, the Nestos Delta-Vistonida-Ismarida Man- of 2014 was launched with great success in NPEMT, through Management Body was informed of dead fish in Lake Vistonida. On 19/7/2014, the competent authorities held a meeting at agement Body has undertaken to systematically monitor the the volunteer project implemented by the Management Body The Management Body immediately informed the contractor the Porto Lagos port authority, following an initiative by Mr. number of breeding herons in the two heron colonies located utilizing funds from Operational Program Environment and of a project being implemented with the title “Marine Habi- inside the National Park of Eastern Sustainable Development (EPPERAA) and its incorporated ini- Macedonia-Thrace, at Porto Lagos tiative “Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity in NPEMT”. and Keramoti. This action, entitled Volunteers cleaned up the coastal section of the heron colony “Monitoring of the little egret (Egretta garzetta) and the grey heron (Ardea cinerea)”, is implemented through the action “Protection and Conserva- tion of Biodiversity in NPEMT” funded by the Operational program Environ- ment and Sustainable Development. These two colonies, comprising Turk- ish pines and maritime pines, are among the most important in Greece, and for this they are often the subject of studies conducted by universities, research institutes and NGOs. The number of breeding pairs con- stitutes and index for the quality of in Porto