Aiguamolls l’Emporda
Region
Europe
Country
Spain
Flyway
East Atlantic flyway
Initiative
Migratory Birds for People
About
About 5000 hectares in North Eastern Catalonia, Spain; there are freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes, rivers, riparian forests, agricultural fields, rice fields, beaches, etc. We manage for Mediterranean waterfowl, white stork, purple gallinule, herons, bittern, shorebirds, wintering ducks, roller, otter, etc.
Funding support: Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Medi Ambienti i Habitatge
Number of staff: 20
Overall aims of the centre
Management of Aiguamolls Wetland, running out the Educational and Information Centre
Description of the centre
About 5000 hectares in North Eastern Catalonia, Spain; there are freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes, rivers, riparian forests, agricultural fields, rice fields, beaches, etc. We manage for Mediterranean waterfowl, white stork, purple gallinule, herons, bittern, shorebirds, wintering ducks, roller, otter, etc.
We do educational programs (summer and schools the rest of the year), visits, etc. We have about 200,000 visitors a year. The Information Centre has different aims, all of them for communication to visitors, educational programs, etc. (webcam, panels, digital information on monitors, etc.)
Work Areas
Main CEPA work areas
Top three successes
The environmental education project offers a free specific educational proposal for the local population, we would say with magnificent results, given that the young age of the park (5 years). Up until the moment of entering to the university (18 yerars), the students learn about habitats and species. This has resulted in young people around the park that know their natural environment.
Every spring and autumn, with the other natural parks from the region, we offer a variety of free guided visits, these are carried out on Sundays morning and attract a great number of the public.
The “Bird Festival” is a much anticipated activity in the region. Over two or three days the park offers many free activities to introduce the world of the birds to general public. This year will be the 18th festival to be held.
Top three challenges
We have a lot to learn from the other natural spaces that are working much better than we are, and particular areas for improvement are:
Activities addressed to a public with some disability, meaning that it’s necessary to have all services that we offer totally adapted to the visitor.
To offer more extensive information about protected spaces and their importance at world-wide level
To convey the importance of the marsh, it is necessary to provide more informative and documentation resources so that the visitor can be expert of the significance of their protection.
Expertise
Interpretation techniques
Creating signage; producing written materials; creating nature trails
Visitor centres
Setting up a new visitor centre; running a visitor centre; managing / creating habitat; building / maintaining structures
Participation
Working with disabled people; engaging young people; working with volunteers
Education and communication
Early years education; working with primary schools; working with secondary schools; delivering adult education; developing resources and materials.