On the occasion of the International Birdwatching Day, IDEA Public Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held a training session on the autumn count of birds and mammals. It is noteworthy that, by conducting the count of migratory birds each season, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources studies bird species and analyses their movements. Apart from observing the ongoing migration of birds, IDEA Public Union’s volunteers have also contributed to the bird counting process.

The training, consisting of theoretical and practical parts, lasted for two days. The theoretical part of the training was held on 5 October 2015 at the Resource Center located at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. During that session, representatives from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, WWF Azerbaijan and the Zoology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences delivered lectures to participants covering information on species included in the Red Data Book as well as the methodology of conducting counts of birds and mammals.

On October 6^th, the participants had an opportunity to apply the obtained theoretical knowledge first-hand. Thus, the youth that traveled to the Shirvan National Park have directly participated in the practical outdoor activities (observing various bird species, conducting counts, compiling reports, etc.). After getting acquainted with the area, the participants received on-site instructions regarding the bird count.

It should be noted similar events have also been held by IDEA Public Union in previous years. The main objective of such regular counts is to observe the dynamics of changes in the quantities of birds and mammals. Students and young specialists that took part in those trainings have acquired important skills related to the assessment of various effects on bird populations, observation of different species of birds and their lifestyle, and compilation of reports on their numbers.  

IDEA regularly organizes trainings, seminars, courses, field trips and other activities on various subjects related to the environment for students studying ecology and sustainable development, people specializing in these fields as well as those that care about environmental problems. Announcements of activities are circulated through IDEA’s internet resources (www.facebook.com/ideacampaign, http://instagram.com/idea_public_union and info@ideacampaign.org).