World Turtle Day Marked with a Field Educational Workshop in Konjsko

On this occasion, we organized a field educational workshop in the picturesque Prespa village of Konjsko with students from the “Goce Delchev” Primary School in Resen, introducing them to the fascinating world of turtles and tortoises and the way biologists study these interesting and important reptiles.

Through practical field activities, the students became familiar with the methods used for locating, observing, and researching turtles, as well as with the different species inhabiting the Prespa Region — the European pond turtle and the Hermann’s tortoise, with this workshop focusing primarily on tortoises. The students had the opportunity to learn more about their way of life, their role in maintaining natural balance, and the importance of their protection.

At the same time, we discussed the many threats turtles face today - climate change, habitat destruction and fragmentation, as well as various human impacts that endanger their survival. Through activities such as these, young people not only gain new knowledge, but also develop a sense of responsibility and care for nature, recognizing that the conservation of biodiversity is a shared responsibility of us all.

This activity was carried out within the project “Prespa Green & Blue Initiative: Empowering Conservation through Research, Education and Communication” funded by the European Union under the programme “EU for Prespa” and co-funded by the Prespa-Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT). Project implementation partners are the Macedonian Ecological Society, the Municipality of Resen, Galichica National Park, the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) from the Republic of Greece, and the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) from the Republic of Albania. The implementation of project activities is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of North Macedonia and Pelister National Park.