Stork village meeting in Slovakia: A look at challenges and successes in stork conservation

During the meeting, presentations and discussions focussed on the dangers to which white storks are exposed on their migration route. These include threats from electricity infrastructure, illegal hunting and environmental pollution, particularly from plastic, which many storks mistakenly regard as food. These factors jeopardise populations and concerted efforts are needed to significantly reduce these threats.

Despite the challenges, there were also positive developments to report. The participants exchanged views on successful forms of environmental education and visited various project sites around Buzica where habitat enhancement for storks has been successfully implemented. Of particular interest were the fish ponds near Buzica, where other bird species such as marsh harriers and even the rare imperial eagle could be observed alongside the storks - proof that stork protection measures also benefit a number of other species. Traditional music and dance performances as well as an art competition for pupils also showed how deeply rooted the stork is in regional culture.

After almost ten years, a new European Stork Village was designated a few weeks ago: Knepp Estate & Storrington in the United Kingdom. Representatives from Storrington immediately took part in the meeting in Slovakia and reported on their experiences with the successful reintroduction of white storks in the UK. The newly designated Stork Village brings new momentum to the European Stork Village initiative.