Oroklini Lake – A wetland of European importance
Oroklini Lake is a must-see wildlife site in the Larnaca district. This fantastic nature patch is literally in the heart of Voroklini community and, despite its small size, is home to rich wildlife.
For the preservation of its great biodiversity hot-spot the wetland is protected under European law, thus it is designated a Natura 2000 site. Here, two threatened bird species come to nest in significant numbers, the Black-winged Stilt (Oroklini Lake is the best nesting site in Cyprus for this species) and the Spur-winged Lapwing (this species nest only in Greece and Cyprus within the EU). Moreover, Oroklini Lake is the only site in Cyprus where the beautiful Red-crested Pochard nests. In total, an impressive 190 bird species have been recorded at Oroklini Lake!
Oroklini Lake is one of the few natural wetlands in Cyprus and like other wetlands of the island it was suffering from a lot of pressures. To safeguard this wetland a team of five partners in Cyprus (Game and Fauna Service, BirdLife Cyprus, Environment Department, Department of Forests and Voroklini Community Council) started a pioneering project with the contribution of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union. The three-year project (2012-2014) aim was to bring an ecological balance to the lake and to ensure Oroklini Lake remains a true wetland haven for birds for years to come and a unique nature site for people to enjoy. This was achieved through the implementation of a number of conservation actions (such as fencing the site, restoring a degraded area, water management works and other) as well as awareness raising actions such us the erection of a birdwatching hide and an information kiosk for visitors, the creation of information and education material and many more.
Click here for more information.
