Despite the cold weather, World Wetlands Day was once again marked at the Dragoman Marsh Wetlands Conservation Center in Bulgaria on Sunday, 1 February, ahead of the official international date of 2 February.

Visitors gathered for an informative presentation by BALKANI Wildlife Society, during which Neli Ivanova introduced the Dragoman Marsh and its rich wildlife. The audience showed strong interest in the importance of wetlands, as well as in the conservation and restoration activities carried out in the area by BALKANI WS and WWF Bulgaria as part of the WaterLANDS project. The visitors’ curiosity was also sparked by the presentation of the other five action sites in Europe where restoration activities are being carried out as part of the project – the Venice Lagoon in Italy, peatlands in Estonia, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and the Ems River estuary in the Netherlands.

Image 1: Neli Ivanova presenting to visitors on Dragoman Marsh Restoration work (Credit: Petko Tzvetkov, BALKANI Wildlife Society)

As always, the presentation featured a selection of curious and entertaining moments from the hidden life of the marsh, captured by BALKANI’s camera traps, which drew smiles from visitors. Special attention was given to the return of the common crane as a nesting species in Bulgaria, a topic that sparked lively discussion and many questions for ornithologist Petko Tzvetkov.

Image 2: Neli Ivanova measuring water level (Credit: Petko Tzvetkov, BALKANI Wildlife Society)

Following the presentation, participants headed out to the marsh itself for a winter walk along the wooden trail. The group took part in measuring the water level and searched the snowy and muddy surroundings for tracks left by wild animals, turning the visit into a hands-on experience.

Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make this World Wetlands Day celebration a memorable winter Sunday at Dragoman Marsh.