CELIM SHQIPERI
Region
Europe
Country
Albania
Flyway
Black sea-Mediterranean flyway
Initiative
WLI Europe
About
Name of organisation
CELIM SHQIPERI
Funding support
Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), European Delegation
Number of staff
4 staff + 3 permanent volunteers (2 funded by Italian Civil Service Programme, 1 funded by US Peace Corps Programme)
Number of visitors per year
CELIM activities directly reach approximately 150 people per year, including school students, local residents, fishermen, tourists and other visitors, through guided visits, environmental education activities, public events and community-based conservation initiatives.
In addition, people are reached indirectly through activities implemented by partner institutions, with CELIM support, including the Regional Administration for Protected Areas (AdZM), and independent users are reached by educational materials, information points and facilities established with CELIM's support. Taking these activities into account, the estimated annual outreach is approximately 1,000 people.
Overall aims of the centre
CELIM Albania has over 8 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, protected area management and environmental monitoring, working in close partnership with national institutions, protected area authorities, universities and local communities. Rather than operating a single visitor centre, CELIM implements environmental education programmes across several priority wetland sites, including Narta Lagoon and Divjakë-Karavasta Lagoon.
CELIM has supported the establishment of the Marine Turtle Recovery Centre in Vlora, dedicated to marine turtle rescue, rehabilitation and environmental education, as well as several visitor information points in protected areas across Albania, including three recently established in Dropull, Memaliaj and Këlcyrë within the Vjosa River National Park. While the information points are now managed by the respective municipalities and the Sea Turtle Recovery Centre by the Regional Administration for Protected Areas of Vlore (AdZM), CELIM continues to use the Sea Turtle Recovery Centre for training, awareness-raising and conservation activities.
CELIM has also installed birdwatching towers in the Narta Lagoon that are currently used for monitoring activities, recreation activities and educational activities.
CELIM has extensive experience in producing multilingual communication materials, including panels, leaflets, visitor guides and digital contents. The target languages are usually Albanian, English and Italian.
Description of the centre
CELIM Albania's office is located in Vlora.
However our activities are primarily field-based, as we believe nature to be the best classrooms for promoting conservation and connecting people with nature.
Our main wetland areas of intervention are Pishë Poro-Nartë Protected Landscape and Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, two of Albania's most important coastal wetlands. Divjakë-Karavasta National Park is an IUCN Category II protected area covering approximately 21,972 hectares, including the Karavasta Lagoon, wetlands, dunes and Mediterranean forests. Pishë Poro-Nartë Protected Landscape is an IUCN Category V protected area covering approximately 15 km², characterised by lagoons, sandy beaches, dunes, pine forests and marine habitats that support internationally important biodiversity.
Close to Pishë Poro-Nartë, CELIM established the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre, currently managed by the Regional Administration for Protected Areas (AdZM). The Centre focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured marine turtles while also serving as an environmental education facility for schools, universities, local communities and visitors. The Center for the moment focuses on Sea Turtle but we plan to expand the Center activities also to other species, for example migratory birds. As mentioned CELIM develops educational activities directly in wetlands and coastal habitats, complemented by visitor information points and information materials materials in several protected areas.
Our projects address a wide range of wetland and coastal biodiversity, including migratory waterbirds, marine turtles, Posidonia oceanica meadows, coastal dunes and lagoon ecosystems. CELIM has developed in partnership with the University of Genoa the hydrodynamic studies of the Narta Lagoon. Recent projects also focuses on the restoration of dune ecosystems and on raising awareness of the ecological impacts of the invasive blue crab in Mediterranean area.
Work Areas
Main CEPA work area
CEPA activities are integral components of all CELIM projects. We promote environmental awareness and community participation through a combination of field-based learning, stakeholder engagement and targeted communication activities. This includes guided field visits, trainings, public awareness campaigns, community events, conservation camps, beach clean-up initiatives and social media campaigns. We also promote citizen science approaches for example by encouraging local communities and visitors to report marine turtle sightings, nesting events, involving communities in monitoring activities and census (birds, bats).
Top three successes
- Establishment of Albania's first Marine Turtle Rescue Centre, combining wildlife rescue and rehabilitation with environmental education, public awareness and capacity building for local institutions.
- Development of educational infrastructure and information materials across several protected areas, improving public access to information and strengthening awareness of wetland conservation.
- Building long-term partnerships with national and local institutions, protected area authorities, environmental NGOs, universities and local communities, creating a collaborative network that supports biodiversity conservation and environmental education.
Top three challenges
- Ensuring the long-term sustainability of visitor centres, monitoring programmes and other activities beyond the duration of individual projects by strengthening institutional ownership and securing sustainable funding.
- Engaging large numbers of beneficiaries while minimising disturbance to sensitive wetland and coastal habitats, requiring continuous awareness-raising and close cooperation with local stakeholders.
- Monitoring extensive coastal and wetland areas with limited human and financial resources, highlighting the need for innovative technologies, citizen science approaches and stronger community participation to complement field-based monitoring.
Expertise
Interpretation techniques
Creating signage / site information; Producing written materials; Using audio-visual tools; Developing nature trails
Visitor centres
Setting up a new visitor centre; Managing / creating habitat; Running a visitor centre; Building / maintaining structures
Participation
Engaging hard-to-reach groups; Engaging young people; Engaging the local community; Working with volunteers
Education and communication
Delivering adult education; ; Lobbying / running campaigns; Working with secondary schools; Developing resources / materials
General
Auditing / assessing effectiveness; PR and marketing; Running effective administration; Health and safety; Fund-raising; Project planning.
Contact
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