The organization HabiProt is implementing the project “Strengthening HabiProt and Knowledge of Endangered Peatlands in Southwestern Serbia” in cooperation with the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia, within the AFD mentoring micro-grant program that supports sustainable management of wetland ecosystems.

Project Objectives

• Strengthening the organizational capacity of HabiProt:

• Collecting biodiversity data on high-mountain peatlands, with a focus on insects;

• Preparing a Protection Study Proposal for the Giljeva Mountain – Koritnik area;

• Educating and engaging local communities in biodiversity data collection;

• Networking with regional organizations and scientific institutions;

Project Description

The project focuses on the research and conservation of high-mountain peatlands in southwestern Serbia — unique yet insufficiently studied ecosystems currently under pressure from multiple threats, including stone extraction, military activities, highway construction, and solar power plant development.

Field activities will take place in the municipalities of Sjenica, Tutin, and Čajetina, with special attention given to the sites of Giljeva Mountain – Koritnik, Kalipolje, Aljinovići, and Pope, which are not yet covered by legal protection.

In addition to research activities, the project includes workshops for residents, aimed at raising awareness of the importance of nature conservation and building local capacity for biodiversity data collection. The preparation of a Protection Study Proposal represents an important step toward the formal protection of these areas and the preservation of their unique natural values.

The project is implemented with the mentoring support of the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia, as part of a program that strengthens the capacities and networks of civil society organizations working in nature conservation.