Best practices for the conservation and management of the black stork in Poland

Natura 2k Awards citizen award group picture — Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and representatives of the SGGW Leśny Zakład Doświadczalny w Rogowie - the winners of the Citizens’ Award 2024
European Commission – Babylonia photo agency – Iris Haidau

About the winner

Lead applicants	SGGW Leśny Zakład Doświadczalny w Rogowie
Category	Conservation on land
Countries involved	Poland
Main Natura 2000 sites	Numerous sites in Poland including Puszcza Piska, Puszcza Notecka, Bory Tucholskie, Puszcza Knyszyńska and Puszcza Białowieska
Website	https://cepl.sggw.edu.pl/bocianimy/

Overview

The black stork is a migratory bird that thrives in old, undisturbed, open forests for breeding. It is particularly sensitive to disturbances and landscape changes, especially during the early nesting phase.

The Forest Experimental Station in Rogów, alongside the Committee for the Protection of Eagles and supported by the Polish Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment, has undertaken significant actions to enhance the protection of the black stork and its habitats across 16 Natura 2000 sites in Poland. These efforts also aim to bolster the species' resilience to climate change threats.

By 2023, the project safeguarded 600-700 breeding sites, covering 55% of the national breeding population, through the establishment of nest protection zones by the Regional Forestry Directorate. These zones, each spanning about 2,800 hectares, restrict forest management and human activity during the breeding season. This marks a substantial increase from the 193 sites protected in 2015, which covered only 16% of the national breeding sites. In Natura 2000 areas, these protected zones extend over more than 600,000 hectares. The project also focused on repairing nests, shielding them from predators, and monitoring the stork population. For the first time in Poland, GPS-GSM loggers provided detailed insights into the spatial ecology of young black storks, revealing their movements, migration dates, routes, and wintering areas. Consequently, the black stork is now one of Poland's most closely monitored species.

Local event

On 26 October 2024, the SGGW Forest Experimental Station in Rogów hosted a vibrant local event to celebrate their “Best practices for the conservation and management of the black stork in Poland” project which won the Citizens’ Award in the 2024 edition of the Natura 2000 Award. The event was held at the Rogów Museum of Forest and Wood, and attracted over 80 participants, including representatives of the Polish State Forests, Environmental Protection Institutions, nature conservationists and black stork enthusiasts from across Poland.

The day commenced with the ceremonial unveiling of a commemorative plaque on the wall of the museum, honouring the project’s award win. Following this, Przemyslaw Ogiński, representing the Nature Conservation unit in the Directorate-General for Environment of the European Commission, made a presentation about the EU biodiversity policy and legislation, which was followed by a series of four presentations focused on black stork conservation. These sessions offered participants a deeper insight into the award-winning project, along with extraordinary stories about the storks, complemented by a captivating photo show.

After a brief break for refreshments and coffee, participants engaged in a series of workshops, moving between different activities including a demonstration of tree-climbing techniques, a black stork themed cake shop, and various educational games and activities. The event concluded with a dinner by a bonfire, at which participants enjoyed lively discussions and shared their experiences of the day.