Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace (SPBT)

In 2023, the largest forest fire ever recorded in Europe laid waste to much of the region of Thrace in Greece, a key habitat for many rare birds of prey and other species. The fire devastated multiple protected areas, including more than half the Dadia Forest National Park and many of its nesting sites of the endangered European Black Vulture. In response, the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace (SPBT), WWF Greece and the relevant authorities joined forces to restore and rehabilitate key habitats in and around the Dadia National Park. Together, they also put measures in place to help prevent future wildfires in the region. We are proud to support this vital work.

spbt.gr/en | Partner since 2024

Challenge

In 2023, the region of Thrace in Greece experienced the largest forest fire ever recorded in Europe. The conflagration killed at least 18 people and ravaged more than 170,000 hectares of land, including several nature reserves that are crucial for Europe’s raptor populations. Among the most affected areas was the Dadia Forest National Park, a critically important haven for the European Black Vulture and other rare species that has been under protection since 1980. More than half the park, including most of its key vulture habitat, suffered catastrophic burning that went far beyond the ecosystem’s capacity for natural regeneration, disrupting the ecological balance of the entire region.

Response

Shortly after the fire, the local conservation NGO, the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace (SPBT), partnered with WWF Greece and the relevant authorities to restore and rehabilitate key habitats in and around the renowned Dadia National Park. Their immediate actions focused on protecting the remaining forest patches and restoring key nesting sites for the Black Vulture and other threatened species. The programme’s long-term objectives include supporting the restoration of the ecosystem at landscape level, monitoring wildlife populations, preventing future wildfires from becoming catastrophic, and reducing other threats to the area’s biodiversity.