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Ramsar Study Tour to Swiss Ramsar sites, 5-6 February 2000

Alexander Belokurov reports,

On 5th and 6th of February a number of Ramsar Bureau's staff got together with our colleagues from IUCN and WWF to visit lake Neuchâtel.

Some background information from Tobias Salathé's introduction:

"The Champ-Pittet nature reserve of Pro Natura NGO, conservation education and visitor centre at the edge of the "Rive sud du lac de Neuchâtel" Ramsar Site harboring Switzerland's largest reedbed. Further eastwards, towards the eastern end of the lake, lies "Fanel and Chablais de Cudrefin" Ramsar Site, the eastern end of the long-stretched reedbed bordering the lake since its water level was artificially lowered early in the 20th century, as part of a large drainage scheme for the peatlands between Bienne, Neuchâtel and Morat lakes, turning them into agrobusiness land (sugar beets, maize and the like). The Ramsar site is a nature reserve."

Werner Müller, Director of BirdLife Switzerland (http://www.birdlife.ch/) and his colleague Möhlin Ist van Horvath were kind enough to tell us about their plans for the construction of a visiting center at La Sauge with facilities for watching migrating waders and locally breeding waterbirds, education and housing.

The weather was very nice and we stayed overnight at the Fanel guesthouse. Tobias prepared fondue from natural ingredients using his "special" recipe. After this we were unable to wake up in the morning and slept until 10:30 (everyone, that is, except Tobias). But we were still able to watch a lot of birds and mark all information boards of the Fanel reserve with Ramsar logos.

It was a wonderful weekend! And some pictures of my favorite swans (below)

Thanks to Paulette Kennedy, Mariano Gimenez-Dixon (IUCN) and Amalia Romeo (WWF) for joining us. Thanks to Denis Landenbergue (WWF) for the idea about the guesthouse. And special thanks to Tobias who initiated and organised this enjoyable tour.

We hope this tradition will continue!

Lake Neuchâtel in fog (ANY lake in fog)

Lake Neuchâtel at sunset (ANY lake at sunset?)

From left: Tobias Salathé (Ramsar), Werner Müller and Möhlin Ist van Horvath from BirdLife Suisse, Evans Okong'o and Flor Salvador Pérez of Ramsar, Mariano Gimenez-Dixon (IUCN), Amalia Romeo (WWF), all holding up pieces of paper

Early morning birdwatching enthusiasts, and others: (from left) Tobias, Flor, Amalia, Paulette, Evans

Improving Ramsar sites with the Ramsar logo, doubtless inadvertently omitted by the original signmakers: (from left) Ramsar's own Tobias Salathé, Sasha Belokurov, Flor Salvador, and Evans Okong'o.

Sasha's favorite swans: Herbert Lum (left) and Gregor Samsa (right)

-- all photos by Alexander Belokurov, except the one he's in.

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 17 February 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.