Supervision – Guarding

The supervision-guarding program of the National Park aims at preventing and eliminating the human activities that incur pressure on the protected area.

Such activities mainly include poaching, hunting within prohibited areas, illegal logging and disturbance at breeding, feeding and resting sites of fauna species, land clearings, illegal garbage disposal etc.

The personnel of the Management Body patrols the region throughout the year, especially during the winter (hunting prohibition season), in spring (breeding season) and in summer (fire season).

The Management Body collaborates with local agencies, such as the Forest Service of Soufli, the Police Department of Soufli, the Hunting Federation and the Fire Service of Didimotycho and Soufli. Moreover, the Management Body is in daily contact with the residents of the settlements of the National Park, who, as users of the ecosystem, are precious partners and supporters concerning issues of its protection, management and promotion.

Moreover, in the context of the INTERREG program on “Open protocols and tools for the Education and Training of Voluntary organisations in the field of Civil Protection, against Natural Disasters (forest fires) in Greece and Bulgaria-OUTLAND”, a body of volunteer firefighters was formed by the residents of the region, who were trained on prevention and fire fighting, as well as first aid provision. In addition, the volunteers were provided with equipment by the Management Body. The firefighters were also trained on how to use fire the station warning system, which will be installed in the Management Body building.