On the occasion of the Eagle’s Day, June 27, the campaign “Donate Forest for the Eagle” has been launched. The aim of the campaign is to raise funds needed to take care of the newly created forest for the Lesser Spotted Eagle. After the forest is planted, special care needs to be taken for at least two years for the young trees to survive.
The aim
Funds are needed to purchase equipment, protective netting for the trees, fence building, and transport for volunteers, who will help plant the trees in the autumn.
Anyone can donate to forest for the eagle by calling the short number 17 777 with the DMS “POLET”. In October or November, when tree planting is most appropriate, the new forest for the Lesser Spotted Eagle will be established.
About the campaign
The home of the Lesser Spotted Eagle is the forest – close to open spaces, pastures, meadows, farmland and ponds. The forest and especially the tall, healthy, and large trees are very important for the eagle. It prefers to build its nests and raise its chick on such trees. Each year an eagle pair raises only one, or in rare cases, two chicks.
The Lesser Spotted Eagle inhabits deciduous or mixed forests. One of the rarest and most valuable types of forests in our country, preferred by the eagle, are the riparian forests, composed of species such as alder, poplar, elm.
This is the reason why a riparian forest of black poplar will be planted. The trees for it will be provided by the Southeast State Company. The preparation of the site for planting will be carried out with the participation of the Executive Forest Agency. To ensure the future of the forest, it will be established on land owned by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, which is located in a protected site of the Natura 2000 network.
The restoration and creation of new feeding, roosting and breeding habitats for the Lesser Spotted Eagle is one of the priority activities of the EU LIFE project “Life for Eagles’ Habitats”. The creation and maintenance of habitat for the Lesser Spotted Eagle, as valuable as the riparian forest, will contribute to the conservation of the species in the country.