The goal of Wings for Nerpio project is the conservation of the natural heritage of Nerpio municipality, the remotest and most isolated mountain town of Castilla-La Mancha Region

Around the 60% of the municipality territory (50.000 Has.) is under the protection of Natura 2000 network due to the existence of threatened bird species and habitats as vultures, birds of prey, rocky mountain habitats, river woods, forestry areas, and juniper trees woods. These mountain habitats are very important for the conservation of wild flora and fauna, with a high number of endemic plant species typical of south-east Spain mountains, tha inhabit in Sierra de las Cabras Natural Reserve. This Natural Reserve is also the home of a scavengers birds community, with very threatened species as the Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, and in the last years the Bearded Vulture released from the reintroduction program from Andalusia in Sierra de Cazorla Natural Park that share a border with Nerpio Municipality.

One of the main singularity of Nerpio landscape, that make it unique are the around 30.000 walnut trees planted in the area from centuries, they produce the famous Nerpio´s Walnut, and the oldest walnut trees are also very famous due to their height and trunk diameter. These old and big trees are also the home of a high number of bird species, mammals and anphibians.

The conservation of the mountain landscape, the bird life and the "walnut dehesas" existing in the territory, that make one of the most unique mountain landscapes of Spain, aim to promote socio-economic development of the rural community through the promotion and development of ecotourism in the town

The birth of the project

The project Wings for Nerpio was started in 2010 thanks to the initiative of the Nerpio Town Council, the support of SEO/BirdLife and the funding of Fundación Biodiversidad.

During the first years of the project were carried out several environmental awareness campaigns with the local population, the construction of a vulture observatory, signaling of hiking paths and viewpoints, the organization of birdwatching guided tours, that attracted hundreds of ecotourists as well as the organization of bird ringing volunteer campaigns to study the local bird community.

After several years without any funding type due to the current economic crisis and cutbacks in environmental conservation and rural development projects, the current crowdfunding aims to get fund for the maintenance and improvement of the public birdwatching facilities as well as for the conservation of the main natural resources: landscape, birdlife, centenary trees...

What we will do with your financial contributions?

In order to further advance in the conservation of natural heritage of the territory, we will take out four specific actions:

Supplementary feeding program of vultures in Mingarnao Feeding Station

This action is intended to reinforce the population of vultures of the province of Albacete with only around 40 breeding pairs which are being affected by food shortages due to the abandonment of livestock activity.

Conservation of heritage trees

The conservation of these living monuments is vital to preserve the unique landscape and rich biodiversity Nerpio who dwells among their trunks and branches. Some of the oldest and monumental trees, need rejuvenation pruning, pest control, disease treatment and removal of waste from their environment in order to continue in vigorous walk for a few decades and still be home of a diverse fauna.

Improve signaling pathways and repair of bird observatories

After the construction and marking of several observatories, viewpoints and interpretive trails in 2010, these have not had any maintenance.

Some of them have been deteriorated and need to be repaired or replaced.

We also plan to expand the network of trails, We will signal a new path and build a new panoramic lookout in the vicinity of the Sierra de las Cabras Natural Reserve.

International Volunteering Campaign at Yetas Ringing Station

Funding for this project will allow for the third International Volunteering Ringing Campaign to pay for accommodation and meals for volunteers and ringers.

In parallel environmental education activities for school children in the area who can visit the site during the month-long campaign will be conducted.

Schedule

Supplementary feeding program of vultures in Mingarnao Feeding Station The program will start in April 2015 and will continue monthly until December of the same year.

Improve signaling pathways and repair of bird observatories would take place in the spring of 2015 before the start of the peak summer season, from July to August.

International Volunteering Campaign at Yetas Ringing Station would take place during the autumn of 2015 (September-October) coinciding with the migratory pass of birds.

Treatments for the conservation of heritage trees,

mainly walnuts would take place once the collection of walnut (November 2015-January 2016) is finished.

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