Visiting the Stork Colony in Altreu Switzerland

On July 20, 2019 we visited the Stork Colony in Altreu Switzerland. Altreu is known internationally for its white stork colony, which was established by conservationist Max Blösch in 1948. The 1,500 hectare 'Witi' reserve serves as a hunting ground and resting place for the storks in the marshlands of the Aare. In 2008, Altreu was recognized as a European stork village by the EuroNatur foundation.

Approximately 20% of all the white storks breeding in Switzerland live in this colony. Altreu is now a model for such projects: the feeding of storks ceased in 2004, and the enclosures have meanwhile been abolished. In their place, the focus is now on habitat conservation as the basis for the survival of storks in the cultural landscape. The 1,500-hectare 'Witi' reserve was created, in which the large and now stable stork population can hunt for food. As a result of this, marshland along the river Aare has been preserved in the midst of the otherwise intensively farmed arable land of the Swiss central plateau. Furthermore, the 'Witi' is an internationally important resting place for waders. The funding of the motorway tunnel under the 'Witi' – the only one in the Swiss lowlands – shows that the conservation of this valuable habitat is being taken very seriously indeed | Please Subscribe ➤ https://bit.ly/31hqyBO

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