Loud, wild, it gets under your skin – this is how Lisa Leschinski describes the mating-call of a Balkan lynx. She was lucky to hear it in the Mavrovo National Park during her internship with the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) – a EuroNatur partner organisation. This was shortly before the wildlife biologist joined EuroNatur. Lisa Leschinski has been in charge of our lynx protection projects since 2020.
The time in North Macedonia left an impression on Lisa Leschinski. She experienced how passionate the biologists of MES are to secure the survival of the Balkan lynx. She was especially impressed by the successful collaboration with local hunters and the civilian population – something of great importance to Lisa, ever since she worked for many years for the Hunting Association of Lower Saxony. There, she actively monitored the wolf population. „I am a research scientist but science alone is not enough in order to effectively protect such species as the lynx and the wolf. Fact-based communication and public relations are much needed, too.“ She is convinced: „This is the only way of achieving acceptance and coexistence of humans and wildlife“.
This is also true for the protection of marine mammals – another of Lisa‘s passion. While volunteering at dolphin and whale research organisations in Australia and Wales she was also confronted with conflicts between fishermen and marine mammals. „The challenges are similar to those with the lynx, even though the habitat is completely different“, Lisa Leschinski says. At EuroNatur she is also in charge of projects to protect Mediterranean monk seals. What she specially likes about EuroNatur is: „We ask our local partners what they need instead of forcing our plans upon them. Nature conservation only works with the support of local people. I have witnessed this in all my previous projects.“