About the Project
The Katra River Valley, a biodiversity hotspot in Lithuania, is home to many rare birds, plants, and animals. Species such as the Spotted Crake, Water Rail, Black Grouse, and even the Great Snipe have been recorded in the area. A wide variety of rare plants can also be found here, including three species of orchids, among the valley’s most remarkable botanical treasures.
However, this unique and secluded landscape requires constant management. In recent years, maintenance activities have been carried out across eight hectares by volunteers from an ornithological tourism company and employees of Dzūkija National Park. Despite these efforts, the condition of the entire 105-hectare Katra River Botanical – Zoological Reserve continues to deteriorate each year. Open habitats are gradually becoming overgrown with reeds and shrubs, threatening the rare bird and plant species that depend on them.
To help demonstrate the importance of this area to a wider nature-minded audience, the VGP Foundation is supporting the construction of a nature observation tower on the edge of the Katra River Valley and the surrounding forests, as well as a wooden nature trail leading through the seasonally flooded forest to the tower.
This trail will offer visitors a unique opportunity to enter and cross an ancient forest that remains flooded for several months each year. The old black elder alluvial forest provides habitat for elk, deer, and a variety of rare bird species, including the three-toed woodpecker, green woodpecker, black woodpecker, pygmy owl, and tawny owl.
