The Narew National Park monitors birds together with the Ukrainian park

Monitoring of nine species of wetland birds is conducted by the Narew National Park in cooperation with the Nobel National Park in Ukraine. Data collection is to help protect, among others, the mute swan, the coot and the black-headed gull.

On Tuesday, a conservation project co-financed by the EU Interreg Next Poland Ukraine programme for 2021-2027 was launched in Kurów (Podlaskie).

The two-year monitoring in the Narew National Park is to cover nine species of wetland birds: the greylag goose, mute swan, coot, black-headed gull, and terns: white-winged, black, common and white-fronted. Field researchers are checking the numbers of these birds and their breeding success.

Director of the Narew National Park (NPN) Grzegorz Piekarski informed that the project concerns the creation of databases and a monitoring system, which are to serve the protection of biodiversity in protected cross-border areas. The head of the park did not rule out that it might be possible to create a Polish-Ukrainian database of key species and changes taking place.

"We dreamed of creating a common monitoring center that would collect all this data and would also be a tool that would immediately identify threats that may appear and propose some countermeasures to these threats," Piekarski emphasized.

He added that the park has been monitoring the birds for many years and the new data will supplement the knowledge about them.

The Narew National Park has also begun two years of monitoring predators and alien, invasive species: for example, raccoons, jackals, raccoon dogs, and the American mink, previously known as the American mink. Piekarski said that minks have been caught in the park every year since 2011.

As part of the project in the Narew valley in Topilec, in the area of ​​former fish breeding ponds, which the Narew National Park bought a few years ago from a private owner, in two years' time a "bird paradise" is to be created - as the director indicated. The area of ​​the ponds is 36 ha.

"We are at the stage of final work on the concept of pond development. Islands will be created on these 36 hectares. Some ponds will be deepened, others will be shallowed. We will soon accept the concept, then physical work in the field will begin," informed Piekarski. With tourists and birdwatching enthusiasts in mind, a so-called ornithological observation tower will also be created there, from which it will be possible to observe birds.

Narew National Park also plans to renovate the observation tower located in Topilec. It will also buy binoculars, camera traps, and a car.

Nobel National Park is located in Western Polesie in the Rivne region of Ukraine. The director of the facility, Volodymyr Dikovytskyi, recalled that the park was established in 2019. He emphasized that Ukrainians want to gain new experiences within the project.

The total value of the project is over 1.7 million euros, of which around 90 percent of the funds come from the EU. Over 1.2 million euros will go to the Nobel PN, which is the main beneficiary of the project, and around 440 thousand euros to the Narew park.

"Our part is very small, but in the assumptions of the Narew National Park, this is not a project on which we are to obtain money. We have a great partner in an area that is difficult to protect nature at the moment. We all know what is happening in Ukraine. We are a partner who wanted to support our friends from Ukraine," said director Piekarski at the conference inaugurating the project.

He added that the second part of the project is planned for the future and the financial proportions there will be the opposite.

The project will last until the end of 2026. (PAP)

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