๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐น๐๐ฏ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ท๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ (๐๐ฌ๐) was created by ๐๐ข๐ฆ-๐๐น๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ข๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐, one year ago with the purpose of including the younger generation in wildlife conservation and environmental related activities.
The club consists of 35 students, 15-20 highly active, from “๐๐๐ถ๐บ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ถ” ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น, ๐๐ท๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐รซ๐ฟ; all driven by curiosity, passion for nature, and the desire to explore and learn more about the Albanian wilderness. They are led by their talented teacher and our friend ๐๐ฟ. ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ท๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ธ๐ฎ๐ท, and they are also supported continuously by the ๐๐น๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ข๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ (๐๐ข๐ฆ).
They are now a consolidated super team that is growing day by day. The Egyptian vulture, the Environmental Education, and Gjirokastra are represented by the Conservation Youth Club Gjirokastra, by the work, dedication, inexhaustible energy, and creativity of these young people.
The club members have had the opportunity to participate in concrete initiatives concerning the protection of the Egyptian Vulture, such as the monitoring of power lines in Drinos Valley, where they were able to monitor 15 km of power lines and observe from up-close various species of birds, including the Egyptian vulture.
The creation of the Conservation Youth Club of Gjirokastra was necessary for spreading awareness in the local community of Gjirokastra about the conservation status of the Egyptian vulture in Albania, the importance of Gjirokastra region as a nesting territory for the Egyptian vulture, the need for protection from numerous threats, etc. But most importantly, ๐๐ฌ๐ was necessary for giving these students a first-hand account of what it means to be a ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ง.
We hope that, through participating in our activities, these youngsters have learned the importance of biodiversity and have found new ways to appreciate nature.
AOS is grateful for all the excellent students of “Asim Zeneli” High School and their passionate teacher, Dr. Gentjan Hykaj!
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ญ awaits us with even more interesting activities, with more inclusion and with a network that will grow extensively and mark the values of the involvement of young people in conservation actions for endangered species.
This activity is carried out under the frames of the Life+ project โEgyptian Vulture New Lifeโ (LIFE16 NAT/BG/000874). The Return of the Neophron