Eastern Slovak village Buzica honored as European Stork Village

April 18, 2014 Eastern village, located southwest of  on the Slovakian– border, was awarded “European Stork Village” by  environmental foundation EuroNatur. The mayor of Buzica, Jozef Mohňanský, received the award last Saturday.



Mohňanský told the news agency,   In 2013 there were eleven breeding pairs recorded.

Storks nest in the village center on electricity poles and on artificial breeding platforms raised by local authorities. Local residents respect storks. The village holds an annual festival for the arrival of the storks, and has kept a stork census since 1976. An important part of local environmental activities is education programme "Stork" carried out in local kindergarten and primary school, which regularly issues the school magazine "Stork".

Buzica is one of Slovakia's three most important nesting areas. It lies partly in, which was declared on January 7, 2008 by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic. Wetlands near the village naturally attract storks.

Since 1994 EuroNatur has chosen different villages with resident stork colony to award residents' storks protection activities with the honour of the title "European Stork Village". The foundation started this initiative to strengthen the stork conservation network. "The aim of the European Stork Village award is for these places to become internationally known for their special cultural and natural heritage and to hold up their commitment as an example to others", says the foundation's official report.

Buzica is the thirteenth location awarded. The first was the small village of in ; last year the  municipality of  was awarded.

An awarded village may have the most breeding pairs in its country, or a rapidly increasing stork population. However, the award also considers local government's, and residents', attitude toward storks.