‘Finest wetland’ on film
A TRIUMPHANT gala night premier for a film of the first North Cyprus birdwatching hotspot, the EU-funded Kukla Wetlands Project, has taken place in the capital.
The Avenue Cinema screening last Wednesday, as part of the Civic Space Open Door festival, included short films showcasing other projects by the Society for the Protection of Birds and Nature (Kuşkor).
The audience also saw a short nature film and animation to campaign against the hunting of globally endangered turtle doves, produced by University of Exeter environmental media start-up Muddy Duck Productions, who visited North Cyprus in July.
Representatives of the Kukla project partners, Kuşkor and Beyarmudu Municipality, shared their excitement with the audience as stunning shots of some of the site’s 200 recorded species of avian visitors were revealed.
Described by British ornithologist Peter Flint as “the finest wetland in Cyprus”, Kukla was first evaluated in 2010 and designated an Important Bird Area.
Work began from 2014 and has seen the installation of two bird hides and floating artificial nesting islands alongside walking trails and information boards to create a local and international birdwatching centre, as research continues for its long-term management
Kuşkor’s Damla Beton, a Turkish Cypriot biologist, introduced the back-to-back screenings to a packed audience of supporters and thanked everyone for their efforts including Beyarmudu Mayor İlker Edip, who visited birdwatching sites in Turkey to gain experience.
Mr Edip confessed: “We never noticed how rich an environment we were living in until Kuşkor came to us.”
He was joined by municipality civil engineer Didem Çavuşoğlu and Water Board engineer Çiğdem Çavuşoğlu, who said: “We have both loved working on this project. It’s good for us and the environment.”
Ms Çavuşoğlu and her department will be tasked with diverting excess water to the site to maintain water levels, but Dr Beton said rain would soon be on the way and everyone was welcome to visit the site, for which an official launch is planned later.
Pearl Mitchell, of the Anglo Turkish Association which has backed Kuşkor financially, said: “It’s wonderful to see what they have done and we are proud to have helped support them.”