Natura 2000 day marked at the tourist info centre in Ponikva, Osogovo mountains

The Day of NATURA 2000 areas in Europe was celebrated at the tourist info centre in Ponikva, Osogovo Mountains, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MOEPP), the mayor of Kochani, representatives of Farmahem, the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), the Swiss Cooperation and Development Agency, as well as local stakeholders.

The event was opened by the Nature Conservation Programme team leader Marjana Shushlevska, followed by assistant director of PE National Forests, Mare Basova – body for management of the Osogovo Mountain protected landscape, who pointed out that according to available data, in the Osogovo Mountains there are around 185 internationally important species, according to the red list of threatened species or according to the EU birds and habitats directives, the Bern and the Bonn conventions, while 10 species are “Osogovo endemites” i.e. species that live only in the Osogovo Mountains. Some of these important species can help to identify and establish Natura 2000 areas, which is of great importance for PE National Forests as the manager of PL Osogovo Mountains, and on the other hand, it is important for meeting some of the conditions for the Republic of North Macedonia’s integration in the EU.