Forestry students from all over Slovenia visiting Kočevsko to learn more about Natura 2000

Last Friday, 19 January 2018, forestry students from Biotechnical Faculty of Ljubljana University, paid another visit to Kočevsko to learn more about Natura 2000 Kočevsko area, the LIFE Kočevsko project  and concrete conservation measures implemented to protect endangered bird species.

After the presentation, students took a guided tour to the white-tailed eagle feeding station, established within the project. The station is the first of the kind in Slovenia. A lifted platform enables access to the birds of pray and restricts access for other (ground) predators, such as bears. Supplementary food is only available to the white-tailed eagle during winter, when accessible food in nature is scarce and the bird’s feeding requirements  are at it’s highest due to the start of the nesting period.

We hope that conservation measures, aiming to protect the white-tailed eagle (supplementary feeding, nest surveillance, quiet zone establishment etc.) will improve nesting success of the species. We are happy to share our experience with students and help raising awareness on the topic. We are aware that (senior) forestry students will soon become experts, responsible for implementing new knowledge and best practice examples in their future expert decisions.