Less than
six weeks to go before we, The SpokesFolks team and I, set off for
the Champions of The Flyway event in Eilat, Israel.
Now the
event is in aid of Doga Dernegi, Birdlife International, Turkey.
Taking the
text from the Champions of The Flyway website :
We are
proud to announce the new conservation cause for 2017. This year we
have chosen to work with Doğa Derneği (Birdlife in Turkey) focusing
once again on the illegal killing of birds on migration.Doğa Derneği
have proposed several projects all aiming to deal with illegal
persecution of migrant birds.
Because of its geographic location
Turkey is a natural choice and it give us great pleasure to be able
to work together to protect birds that share the East Mediterranean
flyway. In the upcoming weeks we will provide more information on the
specific projects, our goals and the actions that will be taken to
hopefully make a change on the ground.
Doğa
Derneği has proposed some very exciting projects to be implemented
on the ground, which we believe can make a real difference in the
battle against illegal trapping and killing.
Doğa
Derneğiis already doing significant things on the ground both
through education and enforcement. With the help of the 2017
Champions of the Flyway campaign they intend to “step up” the
actions especially in the Anatolia region. The region is a very
important bottleneck for migrating raptors and other soaring birds
and sadly large numbers of these are killed illegally as they migrate
to and from the breeding grounds.
Doğa
Derneği have some important projects lined up for the areas of Urfa,
Birecik, the Hatay Amanos mountains and “lakes region” to ensure
safe passage for migrants. The actions will be mainly educational,
helping the people of the region to understand the importance of
keeping the flyway safe. The projects will include youth activities
to train the young generation to become birdwatchers instead of
hunters. Doğa Derneği already has significant success with similar
programs in the Urfa region involving local conservation groups and
volunteer game wardens.
Another
interesting goal we aim to achieve is to deal with the changing
approach to nature with the arrival of huge numbers of Syrian
refugees. The welcome refugees have no awareness and knowledge about
Anatolia’s nature and conservation laws. Doga will be in the field
working with the newly arrived refugees in order to educate and “open
the eyes” of the newcomers to the beauty and importance of nature.
Doga already has concrete action plans to reach 3000 families in the
region through the children, to ensure the safe passage of migrating
birds.
We
believe that the 2017 Champions of the Flyway campaign is one of the
most exciting and important projects to date. Through birds we will
once again transcend political boundaries to work together for the
protection of nature. Birds indeed know no boundaries, and it is up
to us to speak up and protect them because they deserve to fly in
peace!
Back
in 2011 I went on a holiday for two weeks to Anatolia, Turkey.
Sleeping in the car most nights, I visited any bird and ancient
historical sites. I remember one night particularly vividly as I was
awoken by a group of a dozen or so heavily armed soldiers! They
wanted to know why I was asleep in a car far from a main road and
asked whether I was trafficking guns. My notebooks, field guides,
binoculars and telescope proved my real intention and I ended up
having breakfast with them at the barracks.
This
was in Northern Anatolia, near to Dalyan Golu, east of Bandirma.
Black storks, lesser spotted eagles, nightingales and hawfinch were
seen here and a large tortoise.
From
here I went to Turkey's first ever National nature reserve, Kus
Cenetti. I fell in love with the place. A tall tower overlooking an
immense lake, birds were everywhere, Dalmation and White Pelicans,
Pygmy Cormorants, egrets and herons, crakes and waders, ducks and
gulls and lots of migrating warblers, in facts hundreds of migrating
warblers. Every tree and bush had them together with woodpeckers and
shrikes. The woodland adjacent to the lake was full of passerines.
The
reserve had a visitor's centre which was in need of a little tender
loving care. The gardens around it though were immaculately kept.
Exploring
the reserve and nearby village with its fields full of wagtails and
pipits, I saw lines of large birds arriving from the west,
silhouetted by the setting sun; white pelicans, hundreds of them.
Lines of undulating large pelicans came past me at head height as I
watched from the high vantage point of the tower hide.
What
I saw there during a wonderful two weeks has left me with a passion
for Turkey, not just the birds but also for the Turkish people. To
support them via the sponsorship and taking part in the Champions of
The Flyway event is a pleasure and privilege.
Please
donate via our Just Giving page.
Please
support our team in any way you can.
