Members of the Pandoteira project team from the Department of Forests and Terra Cypria had the pleasure of visiting Kato Pirgos Tillirias on Saturday March 12th, 2022.
The purpose of the visit was to inform the members of the local community, as well as neighbouring communities, about the “Pandoteira” project and the actions which are scheduled to take place within their area (Pafos Forest).
Apart from presenting the Pandoteira project our team was also able to generate awareness concerning the importance of the Natura 2000 network.
In addition, participants were introduced to the concept of clustering and the commonalities and characteristics of the Natura 2000 sites which form their cluster and surround their community/ies. In more detail, the special characteristics of their cluster were presented, including designating species and habitats, their conservation status and the geographical expansion of the cluster’s Natura 2000 sites.
Moreover, the Forestry Department touched upon the importance of forests and the necessity to protect them.
Community participation
More than 20 members of the local community attended this event and showed a great interest in the topics presented. During the introduction to clustering, participants initiated an active discussion about what each cluster is. In addition, a very interesting topic raised was why Cyprus is amongst the top EU countries in terms of land area covered by the Natura 2000 network. Furthermore, the locals requested to learn more about the use of traditional grazing for fire protection purposes.
The Pandoteira team will remain in contact with the local community and provide them with any support they need in their effort to actively participate in the protection of the Natura 2000 network.
