For another year, the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) celebrated World Wetlands Day with a series of activities aimed at all ages, and at local, national and transboundary level.

Children in the three countries that share the Prespa basin were invited once again to participate in a joint celebration and to mobilise their forces to … solve the mystery and discover who, or what, was the mysterious Mr X. The answer, which they uncovered through puzzles and games, was the water chestnut – an unusual aquatic plant unfamiliar to many, and which is found in the Prespa Lakes. Because of the plant’s sensitivity to changes in the water in which it lives, it was an ideal vehicle for the children to study the topic of “water management” which was this year’s theme for the worldwide celebration. Although a challenging concept for children, they explored it through interesting games and fun activities all about the fruit, flowers and shoots of water chestnuts.

In addition, friends of the SPP Facebook page were invited to share with the children of Prespa images showing the beauty of wetlands from all over the world. Breathtaking photos of wetlands from Canada, France, Portugal, Montenegro, America, Iceland, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Algeria and many other countries were put together in a unique photo album that was presented to school children in Agios Germanos, Prespa.

Source: SPP newsletter