All media are invited to a project presentation that will take place at the Department for Natural Sciences, National History Museum on Friday, 1 October 2010 at 9:30 hrs. The ornithological society Our Birds will present a series of projects with the general aim of identification and management of important bird areas and preservation of bird species in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Wings across the Balkans" is financed from the civil society facility of the Multibeneficiary IPA programme. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the project is co-financed by the FBiH Ministry of Environment and Tourism and Municipality Kakanj. The project is coordinated by BirdLife International, while eight more organisations from the Western Balkans region are included, namely from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total value of the project is 325,000 EUR, with the EU contributing 256,000 EUR. The aim of the project is to strengthen capacities of non-governmental organisations, cross-border cooperation with local institutions, data gathering and development of methodology for identification and management of important bird areas (IBA) as the instrument to implement the EU Wild Birds Directive. The project foresees field research, capacity-building workshops and preparation of at least one application for an IBA in the participating Western Balkans countries.

The other projects that will be presented by Our Birds are ptice.ba, financed by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Environmental Protection of Canton Sarajevo, with the aim to increase capacities of the local communities with regards to birds and their habitats. Promotion of Birdwatching in FBiH is financed by the FBiH Ministry of Environment and Tourism and has the aim to promote birdwatching as an important potential tourist resource in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Researching biodiversity and eco-touristic potentials of Sericka bara is financed by the FBiH Ministry of Environment and Tourism and has the aim to assess the potentials of Sericka bara and its surroundings (Modrac Lake) as an important bird area (IBA). The project will also look at developing birdwatching programmes as part of the tourist attractions of the area.

All projects will be implemented in 2010 and 2011.