The Department of Environment and Terra Cypria organised a 2-day celebration for the European Natura Day. The celebration, which was organised within the framework of the Pandoteira project, took place on May 16th and 17th, 2026 and included various activities for children and adults.
On Saturday May 16, our team organised a number of activities for children and adults in Kritou Terra and at the Cyprus Environmental Studies Centre, which is located in the village. The activities included:
- Bird ringing and bird release
- Interactive games
- Crafts
- Kremiotis waterfall hike
- Activities with invertebrates
- Workshop with local products and village tour
- Bird feathers’ workshop.
On Sunday, May 17, the celebration moved to the Smigies picnic site in Akamas. The day began with a bird-ringing demonstration and continued with an educational hike along the “Smigies” nature trail. During the hike, participants had the opportunity to learn about the importance of the flora and fauna of the area, which is part of the Natura 2000 network.
The activities were coordinated by Terra Cypria, and were executed with the support of representatives from the: Department of Environment, Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Game and Fauna Service, Department of Forests, BirdLife Cyprus and Federation of Environmental Organisations of Cyprus.
What is Natura 2000?
The Natura 2000 European Ecological Network is a wide European network of protected natural areas for species of flora, fauna, birds and habitats. Apart from protecting nature and biodiversity, the Natura 2000 network offers us great benefits. For example, the network helps mitigate climate change, protects us from natural disasters, contributes to food security, offers us purified water, attracts visitors thus contributing to the support of regional economies, while at the same time supports full time jobs.
The Pandoteira project
The Pandoteira project deals with the management of the Natura 2000 network in Cyprus, with the purpose of making the network more effective and functional, as well as sustainable. The project is co-funded by the EU’s LIFE Programme, it is coordinated by the Department of Environment and has 13 other associated beneficiaries from Public Bodies, Universities, NGOs and private companies. Find out more about the project’s Partners here.
To learn more about the Pandoteira project follow this link. To view more photos from the celebration click here.
