The Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Report by Jose Tavares and Margarita Tzali for BirdLife International | 2011 Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Contents About this report ...... 1 Executive Summary ...... 3 Introduction – Birds and IBAs in Greece ...... 5 The Greek IBA Caretaker network ...... 7 Background Information ...... 7 Caretakers profile ...... 8 The Work of a Caretaker ...... 10 Monitoring of IBAs ...... 10 Conservation Education and Awareness Raising ...... 11 Policy and Advocacy ...... 11 Communication, coordination, management and development ...... 13 The Greek IBA Caretaker website ...... 14 The Greek IBA Caretaker network newsletter ...... 14 Key resources of the Caretaker groups ...... 14 The IBA Caretakers’ portal ...... 15 Communication ...... 16 Financing ...... 16 Strengths and opportunities ...... 17 Weaknesses ...... 17 Annex: Stories and case studies ...... 18 GR048 Lake Kastoria, Northern Greece ...... 19 GR155 Mikres Kyklades island complex ...... 21 GR112 Lake Dystos ...... 23

HOS

Demertzi

Alexandra

Text: Jose Tavares, Margarita Tzali Case Studies: Giannis Gavalas, Lefteris Stavrakas, Christos Toskos Photos: HOS archive: Giannis Gavalas, Apostolis Kaltsis, Stig F. Olsen, Elina Solomonidou, Lefteris Stavrakas, Christos Toskos, Roula Trigou, Margarita Tzali Greek IBA Caretaker Network

About this report

The Important Bird Area (IBA) Programme of BirdLife International aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs (priority sites) for the conservation of the world's birds and other biodiversity.

IBAs are key sites for conservation – small enough to be conserved in their entirety and often already part of a Protected Area network.

1 In order to conserve IBAs, BirdLife partners have to work in partnership with local communities and stakeholders. Working with people at IBAs helps to engage a mainly local constituency in IBA conservation. It builds on what are often strong connections – be they economic, cultural, and historical – between people and the sites where they live, work and engage in recreation.

The whole idea is to use all the energy and drive that local residents, birdwatchers and environmentalists have for the serious study and conservation of birds, and for site protection, by developing a sense of ownership and responsibility, in a significant programme backed up by national and international organisations like HOS (Hellenic Ornithological Society ‐ BirdLife in Greece) and BirdLife International.

The way in which BirdLife Partners work with, coordinate and support individuals and groups involved locally with IBAs, varies across the BirdLife network, reflecting the diverse contexts of the over 100 countries where BirdLife Partners are working. However, shared features include:  the attachment to a particular IBA,  a volunteer commitment to support the IBA’s conservation and sustainable use  a link to the national BirdLife Partner,

In Europe these local volunteers are known as IBA Caretakers, in Africa they are known as Site Support Groups, and other terms are used to describe them regionally and nationally within BirdLife.

Effective networking at site level is a distinctive feature of BirdLife’s approach to working, and several BirdLife Partners are demonstrating success in establishing and coordinating IBA Caretaker networks. This report is part of a project which aims to capture, document and disseminate these experiences and the lessons learned from them. We aim to:  Demonstrate to those Partners that do not yet have experience the relevance and value of working with networks of local Caretakers  Capture, document and disseminate experiences that can help guide (other) BirdLife Partners in their own efforts at establishing IBA Caretaker networks, and provide information on how the BirdLife Secretariat and BirdLife supporting partners can best support the emergence of strong, sustainable, effective local networks.  Initiate a process for the recognition of BirdLife’s approach to working locally. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

 Compile a library of good photographic images illustrating IBA Caretaker networks at work, for external communications purposes.  Create awareness of BirdLife, and BirdLife’s approach to working locally, among policymakers, donors, government, and other ‘external’ agencies.  Provide information and examples through which to advocate for broad‐based participation of civil society in natural resource management.

The review is part of a project funded by the Aage V. Jensen Foundation.

The report has been written by José Tavares (Country Programmes Officer for Portugal, 2 Greece and Turkey & Cyprus project manager, at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – RSPB‐BirdLife in the UK), with valuable input from staff from the Hellenic Ornithological Society (BirdLife in Greece) and volunteers belonging to the Greek IBA Caretaker network.

Thank You To all those that generously gave their time to help me complete this review. I wish to thank the following people for the time, experiences and frankness they shared with me – in no particular order: Danae Portolou, Aris Manolopoulos, Giannis Gavalas, Lefteris Stavrakas, Christos Toskos.

/HOS

Trigou

Roula

Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to explore and analyse the IBA Caretaker Network in Greece with the goal of furthering our understanding of what makes, motivates and inspires Caretakers, what opportunities and challenges they face, and the values of having an IBA Caretaker Network.

At the simplest level, “IBA Caretakers” are people or groups of people who care for an IBA by making a commitment to visit the site on a regular basis and report on its state. 3 Data was gathered during interviews and meetings with Caretakers and HOS staff involved in the coordination of the network over several months.

Main conclusions and issues:  The commitment and drive of the current HOS part‐time IBA Caretaker network coordinator has been fundamental for its good and effective functioning. Having at least a part‐time dedicated staff member is crucial. Essential skills are participatory approaches, facilitation skills, collaborative management, conflict resolution and consensus building.  Having conservation plans and priorities already in place is important to orient on‐the‐ ground activities. The existence of an IBA conservation strategy, or species action plans and monitoring strategies focus the network on what really matters, rather than starting the most basic discussions.  Strong, involved and dynamic volunteers are essential for the development and maintenance of momentum and to develop a cohesive network. These individuals do not necessarily need to be local.  Annual training workshops (including field visits) are absolutely necessary in developing the skills and motivation of the Caretakers. These meetings provide an important opportunity for individuals to bond and learn from each other, which is much valued.  As with any other volunteer‐based programme, feedback and communication has proven to be the major ingredient for long‐lasting relations. Volunteers that receive no feedback or are not contacted and nurtured soon cease to be volunteers.  Access to information and advice seems to be one of the reasons why volunteers join the Caretaker network. It is important to understand this, to maximize growth and development. The Caretaker network gives access to information and expert staff who can offer support and advice.  Caretakers need not be experienced birders, but people with a strong connection to the IBA, either through work or a personal passion, or both.  Funding is, as always, a critical issue – without funding IBA monitoring could not happen.  Clarity and transparency in everything about the IBA Caretaker network are two key features that go hand in hand with successful long‐term partnerships with a volunteer base. In particular, roles and responsibilities and issues related with money need to be conveyed upfront in a very transparent manner. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

 An important issue is for the BirdLife Partner to avoid building expectations that cannot be fulfilled – so promises of feedback, funding should be matched with resources and capacity. Elsewhere I have seen Caretakers loose interest because no feedback was given due to lack of capacity, even though it was promised. Emphasizing only ‘modest’ expectations of a Caretaker are an important element in making the role of Caretaker attractive ‐ simple and straight‐forward expectations are a strong selling point for enlisting volunteers, as opposed to complex and detailed requests that scare people away.  It is important to simplify the often perceived complex monitoring protocols as much as possible, but without compromising their scientific basis and solidity. The challenge 4 here is to convince people that monitoring does not need to be complex and difficult and can be fun!  In the future, and as the network becomes more proactive in policy‐advocacy‐ communication, and not only monitoring, it will be important to develop further the operational guidelines of the network, to clarify terms of reference under which each volunteer operates, so as to clarify when and how can a volunteer speak and act on behalf of the organization.  Enhancing coordination between all the citizen‐science projects of an organization is desirable (e.g IBA Caretakers also doing common bird monitoring and mid‐winter counts)  To strengthen the network, particularly at policy and advocacy level, HOS is planning to give more independence to Caretakers and also to try to contact local groups and NGOs, well implanted at a local level.

/HOS

Trigou

Roula

Introduction – Birds and IBAs in Greece

The concept of Important Bird Areas (IBA) was introduced in Greece by HOS in the 1990s. The initial years of the IBA program focused on site identification, on the basis of globally accepted criteria.

Currently, 196 sites have been identified throughout the country, covering almost all threatened species, restricted range species, biome assemblages and congregatory species (mainly wetland birds). This list, however, is dynamic and not a fixed list of sites. It is anticipated that several new IBAs will be included in the future, when more surveys are 5 carried out, especially in those areas which have not been properly surveyed for birds.

Throughout the European Union 3,388 IBAs have been identified, covering 67,429,700 Ha, whilst across Europe there are more than 4,500 IBA in 46 countries and 4 territories. In Greece, HOS has identified 196 IBAs, covering a total of 3,218,183 Ha, 97,8% of which are on land (3,147,886 Ha). 15 IBAs are found at the country’s borders and 7 of these constitute united ecological units with IBAs of neighbouring countries. Regarding the number of IBAs, Greece is ranked 5th in the EU27, after Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and France, whilst it is 8th if we consider total IBA area (BirdLife International 2006). Greece’s IBAs cover 24.4% of the land (13,202,989 Ha), a figure that puts it in 5th ranking within the EU in relative coverage of the land after Sweden, Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

IBAs in Greece range from very small areas, such as GR093 (Alyki lagoon, Aigio ‐ 32 Ha) to very large sites ‐ the largest is 134,795 Ha (GR014 – Central Rodopi mountains and Nestos valley). The average IBA size is 15,956 Ha. The majority of IBAs (121 IBA, 61%) range from 1,000 to 20,000 Ha and cover 30% of the total extent of the Greek IBA network, whilst 21 IBAs (11%) are smaller than 1,000 Ha and only take up 0.2% of the network.

From the 13 Regions in Greece, Central Macedonia and South Aegean are the ones with the most IBAs, but IBAs in the region of East Macedonia ‐ Thrace, South Aegean, North Aegean and Crete are usually the largest. In terms of area, East Macedonia ‐ Thrace (19%) and 6 Thessaly (13%) are the Regions with the bigger percentage of area covered by IBAs, whilst the Regions of Ionian Islands (1%) and Attica‐Athens (2%) have the least – this is unfortunate as most HOS volunteers come from the capital.

The first publication on Important Bird Areas in Greece was produced in 1994. A new IBA publication that updates the first inventory was completed in 2009.

/HOS

Tzali

Margarita

The Greek IBA Caretaker network

Background Information The Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) is one of the largest membership‐based conservation Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) in Greece and is the Greek partner in the BirdLife Partnership. HOS currently has 633 fully paid up members (June 2010).

In order to monitor the many IBAs scattered around the country HOS needs a network of 7 volunteer «eyes and ears» on ground, that can monitor, get information and eventually act to protect sites. Furthermore, the involvement of locals in this process can build up sustainability and continuity.

The Greek IBA Caretaker network was established in 2003. It is a network of individuals, coordinated by a staff member of HOS, created principally to monitor and safeguard IBAs and to provide local knowledge – in its simple form, visiting and reporting on habitat conditions in the IBA annually, and updating site summaries. It does provide a common approach to site state monitoring. The ultimate objective is to increase ownership, responsibility and eventually some delegation of actions to these individuals, not only to reduce the load of HOS, but also to secure a more sustainable and direct conservation approach.

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

The official name for Greek IBA Caretakers «Υπεύθυνος Παρακολούθησης ΙΒΑ» (in Greek). In Greek, there is no appropriate expression for “caretaker”, so this means something like “Responsible for IBA monitoring”. The unofficial name that is used within HOS (members, network members, staff) is “IBA Caretaker” in English.

Currently the Greek IBA Caretaker network includes approximately 90 people, mostly passionate individuals, covering 60 sites.

Only HOS members are officially entitled to become a member of the IBA Caretaker network – so prospecting individuals who are not members of HOS are told to join HOS first. 8

There are lots of site and species conservation initiatives across Greece, but there are very few initiatives using a network approach to site conservation like this one. It is therefore a unique experiment on site conservation in the country. One must also note that the concept of volunteering in Greece is still mostly linked to humanitarian causes while its linkage to conservation is still embryonic – hence the pioneering value of this project! While HOS uses volunteers in other projects, the IBA Caretaker network is without any doubt the most tight and active group of volunteers within the organization.

Caretakers profile Greek IBA Caretakers are individuals who engage in work at specific IBAs or sometimes more than one IBA. While some of them are local to the site, others are not – many live in the main cities (Athens and Salonika), but for one reason or the other – natal roots, usual birdwatching spot, etc ‐ expressed great interest in some sites and clearly articulated their desire to be the local Caretaker. So, the IBA Caretaker network can not be defined as local.

Individual members are from a wide variety of backgrounds but usually have a common interest in birds – most are birdwatchers. Most members are male (2/3) and most have a university degree or are university students. They mostly come from middle income backgrounds. Some are engaged in other conservation projects and organisations, but most have joined to learn more about conservation.

They are generally keen to develop their skills in conservation and welcome training and participation in relevant workshops to help them in protecting sites and species locally. In that respect, most mentioned that they value the technical and advisory support of HOS, a “prestigious and reliable science based NGO”.

However, they are a diverse set of individuals, with differing experience and backgrounds, and one of the main challenges in this type of project is to get the communication and coordination balance right so that it offers something to everyone.

In Greece, it was decided to generally divide Caretakers into two groups, “beginners” (without much previous experience) and “experienced” (after having done IBA monitoring for some years), and often training and communication is different for those. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

As always happens with any volunteer initiative, initially there is usually a lot of interest and participation from prospective candidates and beginners, but this often dwindles over time – one of the challenges of the coordinator is to keep everybody motivated, and engaged with the project. Even though the project has managed to create a core group of volunteers, growth is very slow with many Caretakers coming each year and leaving the network, as they do not find what they expect. Many members leave the network but continue their actions in the IBAs as individuals or as members of other NGOs or local groups – at least it is good to know that they have been trained through the project!

HOS

Kaltsis

HOS

Tzali

Apostolis

Apostolis Kaltsis, IBA Caretaker of GR115 Mount Kohilas, Skyros Island Margarita

© Joining the network of Caretakers exploits my need to be in, and observe nature. As long as any development frenzy is spreading to the detriment of wildlife, it is now more necessary than ever before, that human voices defend, denounce the reckless exploitation and that we give personal time and struggle to preserve it.

There is also much variation between individuals in how much contact is made with the IBA Caretaker network coordinator – some are always in contact, others hardly ever. In the case of the university students, one of the main challenges is to keep them engaged after they have to leave university looking for a job, since they often they move across the country.

Often, Caretakers are also members of other environmental organizations, and work locally at the local administration, and even at the local statutory conservation or environmental management agencies. This sometimes creates a conflict, as it is difficult to identify in what name (under which hat) the volunteer is acting or speaking out.

The Greek Caretaker network has been - up till now - entirely based on individuals. However, there are plans to start working together with local groups, so as to have a larger impact at the local level - particularly at policy and advocacy level. In this case, HOS will probably need to identify local coordinators (for a group), something that already exist only in one region (Epirus).

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

The Work of a Caretaker Greek IBA Caretakers are asked to do the following:

 Visit their IBA at least 3 times a year  Commit to monitor the area for 3 years minimum  Send annual reports regarding the IBA’s state to HOS, using an established format reporting on the state, pressure and response.  Attend the annual Caretakers' seminar ‐ training.

HOS actually signs an agreement with the candidate Caretakers highlighting the roles and 10 responsibilities above. Unfortunately, these are not taken seriously by most of the network members, and many leave the network, or do not fulfill all of their commitments.

HOS

Solomonidou

Tzali

Elina

Margarita

Elina Solomonidou, IBA Caretaker of GR105 Mount Vardousia © To have an opportunity to explore nature is beautiful. However, to have a practical way to help the environment is an incomparable experience.

Monitoring of IBAs This is the most important, and most basic, task for the volunteer Caretaker. Regular monitoring of birds at IBAs should be carried out, so that baseline data is collected. Caretakers should undertake a bird census in their IBAs, within or without other monitoring programmes (e.g such as the Winter Waterbird Census program for Wetlands International). Monitoring of IBAs also includes reporting on changes in habitat and any threats. All this information is sent to the IBA Caretaker network coordinator, based on BirdLife’s overall IBA monitoring strategy. These forms can be sent in hard copy, or electronically. Some Caretakers find the standard site monitoring protocols difficult and technically complex. This is tricky, because data collection and analysis should be done in a scientific manner, so that comparable monitoring indicators can be extrapolated. The challenge here is to make the monitoring protocols as user friendly as possible, using the training opportunities available. Unfortunately sometimes data gathering is not systematic. However, lots of good data are being collected, and some of it has been used for the new IBA book of Greece.

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

 The state of the IBAs monitored by IBA Caretakers, 2010

Conservation Education and Awareness Raising Ideally, and apart from monitoring the IBA, the volunteer could and should, in the long term, be involved in education and communication actions in the IBA. The majority of Greek IBAs are surrounded by or include, human habitation. Awareness raising about these IBAs among local communities is crucial for their conservation. Caretakers should attempt to organise and/or contribute to conservation education events, through field visits, slide talks, and exhibitions. Although they are not keen in taking an initiative in organizing such events, they are eager to contribute if there are awareness or education events organised by HOS.

Policy and Advocacy Similarly, most of the Caretakers do not engage with the local media or do much advocacy – they often inform HOS about issues, but are unable or unwilling to be more proactive within the region and actually carry out some direct advocacy, always waiting for HOS’s central offices to take the initiative. This has also been partly encouraged by HOS itself, who until recently did not promote independent decision‐making by Caretakers. Usually, any policy and advocacy action by a Caretaker was at the discretion of HOS, and mostly based on HOS needs and interests rather than the Caretaker ones. Until recently, if Caretakers came in Greek IBA Caretaker Network

contact with government they were asked to act as individuals and not as network members – unless it had been decided differently.

Recently, HOS policy and advocacy staff started to liaise more actively with the IBA Caretakers to try to engage more actively with them and streamline work, provide training and identify approaches. A policy and advocacy module is now included in all the IBA Caretakers meetings. However, the general feeling is that the Caretakers are still not as proactive in taking the lead as they could. Nevertheless, the Greek IBA Caretaker network has already been responsible for some outstanding conservation successes.

12 According to the report «Safeguarding special sites for birds, nature and people. A decade of advocacy cases» HOS published in 2011, during the period 2000‐2010 HOS received 332 citizens’ complaints regarding threats to bird populations and their habitats, 23% of those cases were reported by the IBA Caretakers network.

 Examples of IBA Caretaker Network conservation and advocacy successes

GR048 Lake of Kastoria There have been many successful interventions throughout the years in Lake Kastoria, such as the protection of the breeding colony trees of the pigmy cormorants inside the city of Kastoria; prevention of illegal constructions at the shores (see case study 1)

GR125 Schinias Marsh GR083 Lagoons of Corfu island Securing adequate water management by the Cancellation of a car park construction in Olympic Rowing Center; removal of debris the lagoon of Lefkimi (Natura 2000 area). Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Communication, coordination, management and development The coordination, communication and development of the network are the responsibility of the HOS IBA Caretaker network coordinator, a part‐time position in HOS, funded by core budgets, currently occupied by Margarita Tzali. Her dedication, commitment and professionalism are the key factors for the success of this network.

 IBA Caretaker Network Annual Seminars 2009

HOS

Tzali

Margarita

The main task of the IBA Caretaker network coordinator is:  To organize two regular meetings a year where all IBA Caretakers are invited (one in northern Greece and the other one in southern Greece). In these meetings, IBA monitoring best practice is discussed, conservation training given (including on field techniques and bird monitoring), and problems analyzed. These meetings are usually organized in an IBA, over a weekend, hosted by an IBA Caretaker, whose case studies for training purposes. These meetings are very valued by the Caretakers, as they provide an opportunity for Caretakers to interact, share experience and learn from one another. The meetings are usually divided into two sub‐meetings, one for beginners and the other for experienced Caretakers. The costs of these meetings are usually covered by HOS – this includes travel costs for HOS, subsistence (sandwich lunches and dinners), as well as accommodation, often secured in environmental education or community centers and other such establishments, for a symbolic price. (The total budget per workshop amounts to 2.000€.) Each workshop is attended by 30 people on average.  To publish the biannual IBA Caretakers newsletter.  To disseminate and collect monitoring forms, and analyze them. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

 To provide encouragement and advice at all times, mainly done through a dedicated email distribution list, but also by phone. Most Caretakers I talked to were happy with the level of contact they had from HOS.,  To report on the progress with the network, by producing the annual project report.

The Greek IBA Caretaker website In the HOS website there is a section about the IBA Caretaker network (www.ornithologiki.gr/caretakers) both in Greek (more complete) and in English (with less information). There is a fair amount of content, 14 that explains what the Caretaker network is, and also what is expected of the Caretaker. One can find all the IBA Caretaker newsletters, and the annual reports for the IBA Caretakers network project in the Caretakers’ website (also available in www.issuu.com/ornithologiki ).

The Greek IBA Caretaker network newsletter This biannual newsletter contains the latest news, interesting articles and information regarding the Caretaker network. It also usually features one or more trigger species, a main feature on a specific IBA, and general and relevant conservation issues and advocacy for the protection of birds and their habitat. The e‐newsletter provides a great way of communicating and disseminating information to the Caretakers, and everyone I spoke to was very positive about it, partly because it does include articles on the work of other Caretakers, and is thus a good way to find out what work other Caretakers are involved with.

Key resources of the Caretaker groups The IBA Caretakers have access to a portal, which is constructed only for the needs of the network and is a password protected area. In addition to this portal the Caretakers have access to:  A complete folder with information about the IBA and the species, including analytical maps, kml files with all information about the legal protected area boundaries (national, european and global), information about the ecological requirements, threats and proposed conservation measures of each trigger species and the factsheet of the IBA.  A guide for the monitoring of the IBA, based on the IBA monitoring framework of BirdLife International  Each Caretaker supplies his own binoculars and vehicle, while they can borrow a scope from HOS for their counts.  A contact person is appointed for each IBA and usually is an experienced member of HOS with much knowledge about the particular area. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

 Volunteers are encouraged to use the website OrnithoTopos (the Greek part of global 'family' of data collection and provision systems www.worldbirds.org) in order to register their bird monitoring data.

The IBA Caretakers’ portal The IBA Caretakers’ portal is a new tool in order to develop a strong network of IBA Caretakers throughout the whole of Greece. The network portal has the following main features: an interactive map that gives the opportunity to the caretakers to find out about other Caretakers in other IBAs; a calendar where all the organized events and network actions are shown; all the 15 necessary information in order to monitor the IBA, take action and organize public awareness actions.

Network Promo Site Map Material Seminar Material

IBA monitoring

Material for advocacy

Material for public awareness actions

Info about IBAs

Info about birds

Google Map of IBA Caretakers network

News

Calendar

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Communication The main communication tool used is email, as 100% of the Caretakers have an email account – this is in fact a precondition for joining the network. For the needs of the IBA Caretaker network a mailing list has been established, which is used as a communication tool between the volunteers, as well as between the coordinator of the network, HOS in general and the volunteers.

Interestingly, Margarita Tzali thinks that “personalized communication by phone or email motivates them and makes things move, much more than general emails to all ‐ the mailing list is used mainly for general announcements and communication between volunteers. One example ‐ when I ask for the annual report through the mailing list, only 10 answer and I 16 have to call and send emails for a long time in order to collect all the rest!”

Interestingly, the IBA Caretaker network mailing list is often used to arrange birdwatching outings, and also to report or ask questions about birds!

Also, Caretakers are invited to participate in the other 2 mailing lists, “eoebirding” (a birdwatching mailing list) and ”dista” (a mailing list with main themes including conservation of the environment, environmental policy and other themes that HOS is involved in), in order to interact with other HOS members and learn more about conservation and birds.

Financing While HOS has been able to get a number of projects to survey, designate and monitor some IBAs (Program for the re‐evalutation of 69 Important Bird Areas of Greece for designation as Special Protected Areas for avifauna,2009; Determination of compatible activities in relation to trigger species of Special Protected Areas of avifauna, 2009), the IBA Caretaker network proper has always been funded by HOS core budget.

Fundraising for IBAs in general, and IBA Caretakers network in particular, is one of the most important priorities in any BirdLife partner, but unfortunately most budget lines do not cater for the funding of these networks, as IBA monitoring is a recurrent job, that needs to be done for ever, and is therefore not time bound and as tempting as some concrete projects that can offer immediate results.

In Europe, only OTOP has managed to get a grant from EEA and Norway grants (The contribution from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to the reduction of social and economic disparities within the European Economic Area EEA) for its IBA Caretakers network – most other partners have attempted without success other budget lines. This fundraising gap is one of the major limiting factors for the effectiveness and development of IBA Caretaker networks, and one of the most difficult challenges the European BirdLife partners face.

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Strengths and opportunities  One of the best networks of conservation minded individuals in the country.  Established mechanisms for effective information dissemination and communication (website, e‐newsletter, Caretakers’ portal). These are best practice within the BirdLife partnership  Potential to turn birdwatchers into local conservationists  Develops the skills of methodical study (survey, census, data compilation etc.).

Weaknesses 17  Initial participation and interest high, but continued effort often wanes  Many Caretakers only respond when chased after for information/participation  Standard site monitoring protocols often perceived as difficult and technically complex.  Low coverage – relatively small number of sites covered  Funding comes from the core budget, is limited. Limited fundraising opportunities.  Caretakers have not been proactive in terms of policy and advocacy and communication and awareness at local level – they tend to concentrate more on the scientific aspects of work.  There was a feeling that there was not enough coordination between different monitoring activities, and that volunteers within the Caretaker network were being trained to focus on aspects of IBA monitoring only, when other monitoring and research project by HOS could make good use of them – it is usually more satisfactory for a volunteer to see the big picture and get involved in everything related to a certain site, than to only be asked some questions.

HOS

Trigou

Roula

Vassilis Hatzirvassanis

Annex: Stories and case studies

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

GR048 Lake Kastoria, Northern Greece IBA Caretaker Christos Toskos, member of the Society for the Environmental Protection of Kastoria

HOS

Toskos

19 Christos

In 2000 in order to fill a gap in the prefecture of Kastoria concerning environmental protection, the “Society for the Environmental Protection of Kastoria” was founded. As part of this effort and to better address some issues related to the environmental protection of Lake Kastoria we thought that we had to work with nation‐wide organizations such as HOS. So, when we learned that the HOS would start the Caretakers network some of us decided to participate in it. Over the past 10 years through the action which we have developed in the region we have achieved significant results in the protection of the environment and public awareness of the residents of the prefecture of Kastoria. Through our awareness raising actions, we have gained almost all of the citizens of the prefecture as our members. These same people immediately contact us when a threat to the environment is detected. In this way we managed to stop banking up in the wet meadows, to remove an illegal jetty near Dispilio, to cancel the construction project of an airfield in the wet meadows near Xiropotamos, to cancel the construction of the Egnatia SA Road Project “Dispilio‐Kastoria vertical countershaft Siatista ‐ Ieropigi Via Egnatia”, which was planned to pass through the lakeside forest, etc. We should point out the significant help we have in this effort by the HOS on issues concerning the protection of Lake Kastoria.

HOS

Toskos

Christos

One of the trigger species of the IBA is the wintering Pygmy Cormorant, with a breeding population of about 10‐20 pairs in 1998. In the spring of 2007 it was observed that on the trees near the beach of the town of Kastoria, which is the winter roosting area of a large number of Pygmy Cormorants, a new breeding colony with 42 nesting pairs started to form. In order to protect this colony, the Society for the Environmental Protection of Kastoria and the HOS, after the interventions made in the Prefecture of Kastoria, managed by a decision of the Prefect to define the area with buoys and ban fishing in the area during the breeding season. Currently, the breeding population of Pygmy Cormorant in the Lake Kastoria is 180 to 200 pairs in two colonies. 20

Site description: Lake Kastoria (officially named Orestiada) is an inland freshwater lake, at the banks of which lies the town of the same name. Habitats most important for birds are the reedbeds surrounding the lake, the riparian forest with planes, willows, alders and elms at the northwest part, and the wet meadows at the northeast and east parts of the lake. Kastoria is unique in that rare waterbirds can be spotted in close proximity to the city, allowing for simple and effortless observation of species such as Phalacrocorax pygmeus and Pelecanus crispus by local residents and visitors. Lake Kastoria has suffered from serious eutrophication phenomena in the past due to urban and agrochemical pollution, but the situation has improved in recent years.

Habitats: Wetlands (inland) (80 %), Artificial landscapes (13 %), Shrubland (6.5 %), Grassland (0.5 %)

Birds: This is considered to be a wetland of utmost importance for breeding, migrating and wintering avifauna. It is one of the most important foraging wetlands for the two pelican species that breed in Mikri Prespa and thus of great ornithological importance as part of the west Macedonia’s wetland network. A species with significant populations in the area is Phalacrocorax carbo (W). Up until the mid ’90s, Ardeola ralloides used to breed in the area.

Conservation issues: Despite of the Special Environmental Study formulated for the area and the initiatives undertaken by numerous citizens and institutions, birds still face several issues. The riparian forest remnants are threatened by the lack of delineation, the continuous agricultural expansion, road construction and illegal logging. Pollution due to agricultural effluents still persists in the lake’s water. Furthermore, the filling‐in and the construction of tourist infrastructures comprise a threat for the surrounding riparian vegetation at certain localities. In recent years, cultural tourism and ecotourism have been developing in the area and as a result, the value of the lake as a nature reserve has become significant for the local economy and society, to the benefit of biodiversity. Notable efforts are being made by the local Centre for Environmental Education for the protection of the lake and the birds. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

GR155 Mikres Kyklades island complex IBA Caretaker Giannis Gavalas

HOS

Gavalas

Giannis

20 years ago I left Athens with my family and returned back to the place where my grandfather was born. Irakleia is said to be the island of Cyclops Polyphemus, while the beautiful cave of St. John the cave of Cyclops and the small islets Mikros Avelas and Megalos Avelas the stones thrown by Polyphemus to Odysseus’ ship. I am a Mathematics teacher and work in the Gymnasium of Irakleia, the smallest in Greece. I have been working for birds during the last 13 years. Over the last 5 years I have studied the flora and fauna of the island intensively. Unfortunately, due to transportation and work commitments I do not often visit the nearby islands, so I focus on Iraklia and the islets around it.

The moments I cherish in relation to the environment are many, as a resident I am every day in nature. The mating of Griffon Vultures would stand out as well as the observations of Cinereous Vultures in 1999 and of 3 Croatian ringed Griffon Vultures, one of which eventually joined the local group and nested here. A bad moment was when I found a poisoned Griffon Vulture that died in my hands before I could send it for treatment.

The main activities as a Caretaker on the island, in collaboration with the Community, are: the termination of the lease to the shepherds of the small islets Mikros Avelas and Megalos Avelas, where seabirds and Eleonora’s Falcons nest; the creation of a wildlife refuge covering half the island and including the mountain Papas, where 1‐3 nesting pairs of Griffon Vultures and 1 pair of Bonelli's Eagle are observed. Due to the awareness of many residents in the protection of birds many inform me of injured birds or unusual findings.

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

HOS

Olsen

Stig

Site description: This is a complex of small islands located between Naxos and Amorgos. To the south, it includes the islands of Irakleia, Schoinousa, Kato Koufonisi, Koufonisi, Keros, Antikeria and their surrounding small islets, while to the north it includes Donousa and Makares islets. The area also includes the isolated islets Melantioi, located 7 nautical miles northeast of Donousa in the Ikarian Sea. Except for Koufonisia which are flat and characterized by lowland expanses and sandy beaches, the rest of the islands are mountainous and almost completely covered by sparse shrubland and phrygana. Cultivation still occurs at the inland part of the islands, mainly cereal cultivation for animal feed. Human activities include fisheries, livestock breeding, apiculture and over the past years tourism.

Habitats: Shrubland (53.4 %), Grassland (23.8 %), Artificial landscapes (17.1 %), Coastline (1.8 %).

Birds: This is an important area for breeding seabirds, breeding raptors and species associated with coastal cliffs.

Conservation issues: The main threats are disturbance to the seabirds’ and Falco eleonorae breeding colonies caused by human presence on the islets and inaccessible shores, as well as predation on the above mentioned species’ chicks and eggs by rats (accidentally introduced by man on the islets) and Larus michahellis. Other threats include continuous tourist development at Koufonisi, hunting, illegal hunting and the abandonment of traditional land uses. Furthermore, overfishing and accidental trapping in fishing gear (nets and longlines) comprise threats for the seabirds. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

GR112 Lake Dystos IBA Caretaker Lefteris Stavrakas

HOS

Stavrakas

Lefteris

Lake Dystos is a very "mistaken" area. Although its value has been recognized for several years (IBA and SPA from the '90s), there was no continuity for a long time. No one visited the lake for birdwatching, so there was a big information gap. As my origin is from Evia, I always had the desire to "discover" the lake ornithologically. A brief visit in 1999 was disappointing. I expected a lake, but instead found only reeds and fields. So, in my mind the lake Dystos was identified with degradation. The years passed and through the institution of IBA Caretakers I began to visit the region in 2009, along with Aki Gaitanaki, who first started recording regularly in 2004.

The lake can not be considered as a classic freshwater wetland, but this mosaic of habitats with a shallow freshwater lake covered almost entirely of reeds, vegetable crops and olive groves and maquie covering the surrounding hills, is probably the best location for birdwatching in Evia. Among the 178 bird species recorded, those that stand out are: Lesser Kestrel since Dystos is its only known colony in Evia; Ruppell’s Warbler that is nesting at high densities in the hills; Olive‐tree Warbler that is found in large numbers in the olive groves and Bittern for which there are strong indications of nesting (at least 2 pairs) in the lake. It is an equally important area for migratory species, such as Glossy Ibis, Red‐footed Falcon and European Roller.

The most exciting moment for me was the morning of June 2010 when I first heard the eerie call (booming) of the Bittern. The unpleasant moments include the continued expansion of crops to the detriment of the lake and the operation of dozens of wind turbines on the surrounding hills with the absence of any monitoring program for impacts on raptors, although the region is a very important migratory corridor.

Greek IBA Caretaker Network

At the moment my actions as a Caretaker focus on working with local environmental groups on highlighting the importance of the lake to locals, as well as to the general public. In parallel, there is regular monitoring of birds, in order to have as complete a view as possible, which can be a guide for future conservation actions.

HOS

Stavrakas

Lefteris

Site description: The site includes lake Dystos at south Evvoia and the surrounding sub‐mountainous area with phrygana, maquis and irrigated cultivations. Dystos is a shallow eutrophic freshwater lake, a large part of which is covered by reedbeds (Phragmites spp.), yet it still retains open water surfaces free from vegetation. The lake used to be larger but part of the pre‐existing wetland has been converted to cultivations. During the period 1987 to 1995, the lake had almost dried up completely, however since 1999 it has been holding more and more water. Apart from anthropogenic interventions, this karstic lake also dries up because of the existence of a sinkhole. The main human activities in the area are agriculture and livestock breeding.

Habitats: Shrubland (45.7 %), Artificial landscapes (23 %), Wetlands (inland) (15.3 %), Grassland (15.1 %), Rocky Areas (1 %).

Birds: An important site for migratory birds and breeding waterbirds. Breeding birds include 9 of the 21 species that are restricted in Europe to the Mediterranean biome (see Table 2.2.5c). The wetland used to host a heron colony (Nycticorax nycticorax, Egretta garzetta) up until the mid ’80s.

Conservation issues: The main problem facing the wetland is the continuous water abstraction for industrial and agricultural use, which threatens to lead to the lake’s complete desiccation. Another serious threat is agricultural expansion and encroachment of the wetland due to the lack of clear delineation and mapping of its boundaries. Furthermore, this situation results in an increasing pollution load flowing into the lake from the surrounding cultivations. Water level management and suitable lake management are necessary in order to allow the recovery of the protected species’ breeding populations. Other threats include illegal hunting, the operation of a quarry at the boundaries of the lake, the operation of wind farms at the surrounding hills, and finally the release of Alectoris chukar for the improvement of game. Greek IBA Caretaker Network

Hellenic Ornithological Society Vas. Hrakleiou 24, 10682, Athens, Greece | Tel. +30‐2108228704 email: [email protected] | www.ornithologiki.gr