The European Stork Villages Network

With the “European Stork Villages” initiative EuroNatur has set up a movement to help counterbalance the habitat loss for storks in Europe. Since 1994 the EuroNatur foundation has honoured the contribution of 15 villages in 15 European countries for their engagement in white stork and nature conservation with the title “European Stork Village”. Candidates for the title are villages or parishes with resident stork colonies. The local people have put much time and energy into the protection of storks, for example by adopting extensive farming practices and of conserving large areas of wetland. With the title, the communities are internationally recognized as special cultural and natural heritage sites. In this way we are working to encourage successful approaches to the protection of nature in general and white storks in particular.

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The White Stork

The White Stork is so popular one could call it an avian pop star. It is known as the bringer of babies, luck and fertility all over Europe. It has been used in advertising campaigns for beer, nappies, condoms and various other goods, it can be seen on stamps and adorning coins. But where can this charismatic and beautiful bird still be seen in the wild? And did its status as a pop star help the species after all?

In short: Yes, it did help, but it didn´t prevent the vanishing of storks from areas where wetlands, wet meadows and extensive agriculture have disappeared. Storks and wetlands belong together and thus the White Stork is the European ambassador for the protection and restauration of wetlands, wet meadows and pastures.

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Wet meadows and pastures

In the Croatian Lonjsko Polje Nature Park home of the first European Stork Village, Čigoč, a lesson comes alive. A lesson on how people can utilize wet meadows and pastures and at the same time share the natural wealth of these habitats with a bounty of wild species. In spring the area teems with wildlife. Storks, herons and spoonbills feast on the abundance of frogs, snakes and insects. White-tailed eagles soar through the sky and in the evenings the air is filled with the croaking of the European tree frog and the characteristic moaning of the fire-bellied toad. For many generations people in Čigoč have been using the floodplains of the river Save to raise their cattle, horses and pigs and at the same time as a natural flood prevention system. The regular flooding provides nutrients and moisture to the meadows, pastures and woodlands. It nourishes the farm animals and a diverse fauna and flora. Nowadays local people benefit from their traditional pasturing system in yet another way: The beauty of the landscape and the biodiversity attract bird watchers and nature lovers from all over Europe and are thus supporting small ecotourism enterprises and the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje.

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