Swiss bird protection SVS / BirdLife Switzerland

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Swiss bird protection SVS / BirdLife Switzerland
purpose Use and project work in bird and nature conservation
Chair: Suzanne Oberer-Kundert
Establishment date: 1922
Seat : Zurich
Website: www.birdlife.ch

The Swiss bird protection organization SVS / BirdLife Switzerland (short: BirdLife Switzerland) is committed as a nature conservation organization for the preservation and promotion of nature, especially for birds and their habitats. The association is also committed to biodiversity . It has existed since 1922, is the Swiss partner of BirdLife International and thus also works on an international level.

In Switzerland, the proportion of bird species on the Red List is around three times as high as worldwide.

structure

BirdLife Switzerland is divided into 440 nature conservation associations in the municipalities, 18 cantonal associations and two national organizations (Ala and Ficedula). The central office is in Zurich , with others in Cudrefin and Magadino. A total of around 65,000 members are organized in nature and bird protection at BirdLife Switzerland .

BirdLife Switzerland works with the Swiss Ornithological Research Institute in Sempach .

BirdLife nature centers

BirdLife Switzerland operates the nature centers Neeracherried in the canton of Zurich and La Sauge on Lake Neuchâtel near Cudrefin in the canton of Vaud . The nature center at the Klingnau reservoir is operated together with BirdLife Aargau . The centers are designed as nature learning locations and show changing exhibitions. BirdLife Switzerland is also involved in the Pfäffikersee Nature Center.

The BirdLife Nature Center Neeracherried celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2014 with a special exhibition on bird flight.

La Sauge has existed since 2001. A specialty of this center is the kingfisher nesting wall, where the breeding activity of this bird can be observed thanks to a video camera.

The BirdLife Nature Center Klingnauer Stausee by BirdLife Switzerland and BirdLife Aargau opened in May 2019. From a hide, the kingfishers can be observed as they approach the breeding wall.

Campaigns

biodiversity

Klimademo Bern 05.jpg

With its campaign "Biodiversity - Diversity is Wealth", BirdLife Switzerland is committed to maintaining and promoting biodiversity in Switzerland. At the political level, the association managed to get the federal parliament to include the biodiversity strategy in the legislature planning in the autumn session of 2008. Another political success was achieved by BirdLife Switzerland, together with other organizations, with the submission of the landscape initiative (federal popular initiative "Space for people and nature") in August 2008, to which the association contributed over 11,000 signatures. Finally, at the end of October, BirdLife Switzerland submitted its petition "For nature conservation - against self-interest" with over 26,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery. Above all, the petition demands that hunting and further interventions against birds and other animals in bird sanctuaries remain prohibited as before. The request is directed against efforts by hunting and fishing circles to weaken this protection.

Nature conservation in cultivated land

Since the SVS year of the hedges, BirdLife Switzerland has been committed to safeguarding biological diversity in cultivated land. The main concern here is the design of agricultural policy, namely the further development of direct payments (cf. Federal Popular Initiative “For clean drinking water and healthy food - No subsidies for the use of pesticides and prophylactic antibiotics” ). Here the farmers should receive targeted compensation for their services to biodiversity. The high-stem fruit trees are a particularly endangered habitat in cultivated land. Here the association is committed to their preservation (national day of standard fruit trees, promotion of the sale of products from these trees such as standard apple juice, etc.). BirdLife Switzerland developed a system for assessing the quality of the orchards (together with the ornithological station) and alternatives to the current approach against the fungal disease fire blight (together with Pro Natura and WWF ).

Delta Vivo project

In the Bolle di Magadino in the canton of Ticino , BirdLife Switzerland is involved with other organizations in the "Delta Vivo" project, which started in autumn 2008. It is about the renaturation of this important wetland, which has been illegally used for decades for gravel extraction. Specifically, the river Ticino is to be given its natural delta back by opening a longer section of dam and doing other design work. The Bolle di Magadino are one of 31 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Switzerland. In 2008 BirdLife Switzerland and the Ornithological Institute jointly published the first comprehensive book on the IBAs in Switzerland.

Species protection

In 2008, the BirdLife Switzerland and Ornithological Institute published the first two Swiss-wide action plans for the woodpecker and the capercaillie , together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). On the basis of this action plan, BirdLife Switzerland is working on specific projects for the oak forest dweller middle woodpecker and its habitat, for example in the canton of Aargau. In the meantime, species promotion programs for other birds (e.g. little owl, common redstart) have also been started.

Climate protection

In the Swiss Climate Alliance , BirdLife Switzerland is committed to measures against global warming . This is because the existence of various species is threatened by climate change.

Glass as a danger to birds

Glass windows and glass facades, which are used to an increasing extent in modern architecture, pose a further danger to birds. Ten years ago, BirdLife Switzerland intervened because of transparent noise barriers along roads, where countless birds were killed. To solve the "Vogelkiller Glass" problem, Vogelwarte and BirdLife Switzerland have developed and distributed a guide for architects. Further steps to raise awareness are planned.

Bird Race

A bird race takes place every year .

International activities

At international level, for example, the association participated in the protection of the Senné wetland in Michalovce (Okres) .

BirdLife Switzerland is also involved in nature conservation internationally by supporting projects by BirdLife partners such as the Harapan rainforest reserve on Sumatra . Thanks to the help of a foundation, BirdLife Switzerland was able to decisively promote the development and maintenance of the 1000 square kilometer lowland rainforest reserve.

In Eastern Europe, BirdLife Switzerland started a collaboration with the still young BirdLife partner in Armenia ASPB (Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds). The country is home to great biological diversity and attractive species such as the blue-cheeked spint . In addition, the protection of the globally threatened red chalk falcon was improved in Armenia with BirdLife support.

BirdLife Switzerland was committed to protecting migratory birds in Kenya. There he supported Nature Kenya in their efforts to preserve over 200 square kilometers of swampland in the Tana Delta.

In Tanzania, thanks to a project contribution from the very beginning, Lake Natron was successfully preserved as a breeding ground for the Lesser Flamingos . The film company Disney Nature , which specializes in nature documentaries, dedicated a special film to these birds.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ New report from BirdLife shows: Bird species that were once common are now also declining In: birdlife.ch, April 23, 2018, accessed on May 2, 2018.
  2. ↑ SVS / BirdLife Switzerland: Welcome , accessed on June 24, 2018.
  3. ↑ Birdlife Aargau | BirdLife nature center. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Pfäffikersee Nature Center. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Birdlife Aargau | BirdLife nature center. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Experience nature | Nature center of the Klingnau reservoir. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .