In this episode, host Ols Lafe and our very special guest Victoria Saravia, the national coordinator for the Egyptian Vulture New Life project in Greece, will delve into the remarkable endeavor of Egyptian vulture conservation in the Balkan region. Victoria shares her knowledge and experience on the challenges this species faces, not only in the Balkans, but also throughout its migration route, the most significant conservation actions taken to date as well as the struggles of field work for conservationists. Additionally, our guest passionately spreads messages of collaboration and emphasizes the importance of engaging local communities and international stakeholders in the collective effort to help this species thrive.

This episode is dedicated to two beloved and popular species – The Dalmatian and Great White Pelican. Our special guest, Giorgos Catsadorakis, dives into great detail regarding the conservation of the two species in the Balkans. This episode features topics such as the conservation status of the pelicans, successful conservation measures taken thus far, current and future challenges and threats, as well as many important messages for everyone from Dr. Catsadorakis. He is a biologist, one of the founders of the Society for the Protection of Prespa, winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2001 for his conservation efforts in the Prespa area, and Chairman of the IUCN Pelican Specialists Group.

This episode brings to the audience the role of civil society in the protection of natural heritage; the concept of CSOs in the early 1990s, the main challenges of CSOs contributing to the field of environment and nature conservation; the importance of CSOs when it comes to nature protection and wildlife conservation in Albania.

Dr. Bino has a Ph.D. in Biology of Evolution and Ecology (Montpellier 2 University) and about 30 years of experience in the field of nature protection and especially in the study of the conservation of wild birds and their critical habitats. Experienced biologist, ornithologist, scientific researcher, lecturer, nature conservation consultant, and former decision-maker in the field of environmental protection.