SUSTAINABILITY
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FEATURES<br />
New Environmental Centre for Cyprus<br />
The new Environment Centre now open to visitors © Thomas Hadjikriakou<br />
In November last year a state-ofthe-art<br />
environmental centre was<br />
offcially opened in Cyprus thanks<br />
to collaboration between Defence<br />
Infrastructure Organisation, the<br />
Sovereign Base Area, the Ministr y<br />
of Education and Culture, and the<br />
Akrotiri community.<br />
The Centre, which was designed and<br />
built in a year by Interserve Defence<br />
Limited (IDL) embraces some of the<br />
most innovative and environmentally<br />
friendly building concepts, including a<br />
photovoltaic system on the roof which<br />
provides approximately 50% of its<br />
energy requirements.<br />
The Centre operates in a framework of<br />
cooperation between the Sovereign<br />
Base Areas, the Ministry of Education<br />
and Culture, and Akrotiri Community.<br />
The primary purpose of the Centre is<br />
to promote the unique environmental<br />
and cultural significance of Akrotiri<br />
Peninsula through environmental<br />
programmes and exhibits.<br />
The Centre welcomes local schools,<br />
groups, individuals and families, and<br />
more than 10,000 school children<br />
are participating in the educational<br />
programmes every year; this number<br />
is expected to increase. The Centre has<br />
an exhibits room, laboratory, a room for<br />
presentations and conferences, a library,<br />
a bird observation area, botanical trail,<br />
playground and other ancillary facilities.<br />
As well as this fully equipped building,<br />
activities can be held outside on the field.<br />
All facilities are suitable for people with<br />
impaired mobility and entrance is free.<br />
Visitors can learn a great deal from the<br />
surrounding area which includes the<br />
wetland system of Akrotiri Salt Lake<br />
and Akrotiri Marsh, the latter of which is<br />
designated as a wetland of international<br />
importance under the Ramsar<br />
Convention and is now one of only two<br />
Ramsar sites of the island. A large part of<br />
the Peninsula has been designated as a<br />
Special Protection Area for Birds and is a<br />
candidate Special Area of Conservation<br />
for habitats and flora and fauna species<br />
as part of the provisions of the NATURA<br />
2000 Network.<br />
The area also boasts 27 natural<br />
habitat t ypes (22 terrestrial and<br />
5 marine) and 800 plant species,<br />
many of which are endemic or rare<br />
for Cyprus have been recorded.<br />
Approximately 300 bird species have<br />
also been recorded on the Peninsula;<br />
some are resident birds, while others<br />
are breeding migrator y species.<br />
There are 20,000 flamingos which<br />
overwinter in the area each year.<br />
Akrotiri beaches are some of the<br />
few nesting sites on the island for<br />
loggerhead and green turtles, which<br />
are endangered Mediterranean<br />
species. Important species of<br />
mammals have also been recorded<br />
such as seals, dolphins and bats as well<br />
as a variety of invertebrate species.<br />
During the opening, Maj Gen<br />
Cripwell said: “ This is confirmation<br />
that we now have the best facilities to<br />
enable further constructive collaboration<br />
of the many separate organisations<br />
involved in presenting the outstanding<br />
environmental importance of the Akrotiri<br />
Peninsula and other important features<br />
of the SBAs and beyond.<br />
“The centre is a unique shared facility,<br />
whereby teachers and children<br />
from the Republic of Cyprus will join<br />
others from the SBA and those in the<br />
Akrotiri community, to participate in<br />
environmental education programmes<br />
and research.”<br />
Environmental Department<br />
DIO Cyprus and SBAA<br />
58<br />
Sanctuary 44 • 2015