Training on Invasive Species Monitoring in Dilijan National Park

Within the framework of the EU Funded “Joint Monitoring for Environmental Protection in BSB countries” Project the Ministry of Environment of RA, Regional Environmental Center for Caucasus Armenia Branch Office organized a training on “Training on Invasive species monitoring” in Dilijan on 24 February, 2022 for the Dilijan National Park staff, experts, students and civil society.

One of the purposes of this project is carrying out joint monitoring of invasive species of the natural environment, Red Book of Plants and Animals of RA, peculiarities of biodiversity monitoring

This work package is composed of three main activities:

1. Introduction of a general and adapted methodology for invasive species monitoring.
2. Presentation of invasive indicator species
3. Riverside settlements and anthropogenic impact on river banks

The target audience of the training comprised experts, specialists from the scientific and other departments of the Dilijan National Park, European University Ijevan Branch students and other participants from civil society.

One of the main outcomes of the Project is to implement continuous joint monitoring of potential sources and forms of pressure on key habitats and invasive species. The conservation of biological diversity and the achievement of sustainable use of natural renewable resources is a major task and priority in the activities of the nature parks and protected territories included in the project. Therefore, the main objectives set out during the training and the following discussion were the following:

Introduce the methodology of animal monitoring in Dilijan National Park, the impact of invasive species, wildlife diversity, distribution, ecological features, as well as the issues of conservation of plant and animal diversity in Armenia.

At the end of the course, participants acquired new skills and knowledge on methodology of animal and plant monitoring, the diversity of wildlife in the national park, its distribution, ecological features, as well as the analysis of the available information on the status of invasive species.