RAZNOŽIVO, FESTIVAL OF BIODIVERSITY IN LJUBLJANA: PRESENTATION OF THE COORDINATION CENTRE FOR AMPHIBIANS (CCA)

On Friday, May 22—World Biodiversity Day—the Raznoživo festival once again brought together nature conservation organisations from across Slovenia. The event took place in the heart of Ljubljana, on Stritarjeva Street—one of the city’s main promenades—attracting a large number of visitors throughout the day.

Partners of the LIFE AMPHICON project also participated with a dedicated stand, where they presented the results of their work and engaged with visitors. The Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora highlighted the activities of the Coordination Centre for Amphibians (CCA) in Slovenia and invited the public to contribute observations of amphibian species, supporting ongoing citizen science efforts. Meanwhile, the Ljubljansko Barje Landscape Park focused on showcasing its work in amphibian habitat conservation. 

In addition to raising awareness about biodiversity conservation, the festival also serves as a platform for presenting research activities from various fields of nature protection. Public participation through citizen science plays an increasingly important role in building a more complete understanding of the state of the environment and biodiversity.

At our stand, we offered leaflets, brochures, and other educational materials about amphibians, amphibian road mitigation measures, and practical conservation advice. Children were especially drawn to the amphibian models and confidently reported that they were not afraid of the animals. Many visitors were already familiar with frog patrols on the roads, and some had even taken part themselves.

Older visitors often recalled times when amphibians were far more abundant, and some noted that they were once even collected for food, since the restaurant Žabar was purchasing them. Foreign tourists frequently asked about the most interesting amphibian sites in the Ljubljana area, and we directed them to Radensko polje and the Ljubljansko barje.

We would like to thank the Municipality of Ljubljana for the invitation and excellent organisation of the event. This year’s festival was visited by more than thousand people. We are glad to have participated, and fortunately, the weather was favourable, contributing to a lively atmosphere and strong attendance throughout the day.

Mestni občini Ljubljana se zahvaljujemo za povabilo in  odlično organizacijo dogodka, ki ga je letos obiskalo več kot tisoč ljudi. Veselilo nas je, da smo del festivala, vreme nam je služilo in posledično se je v mestu zadrževalo res ogromno obiskovalcev.

Photo: K. Poboljšaj, V. Kitthiya, J. Možina