Improving biodiversity’s resilience to climate-and human-induced threats through nursing positive Human-Herpetofauna Interactions

Τhis project, focused on identifying human-relevant issues that affect herpetofauna in order to contribute to improving biodiversity’s resilience. Measures created by nursing and promoting positiv...

Τhis project, focused on identifying human-relevant issues that affect herpetofauna in order to contribute to improving biodiversity’s resilience. Measures created by nursing and promoting positive Human-Herpetofauna Interactions (HHI) through herpetofauna-related adult education to citizens and VET were suggested. Additionally, the project highlights the importance of professionals who live and work in nature (e.g. farmers, shepherds, hunters), and are in contact with herpetofauna species on a regular basis, as the real countryside managers and can actually make a difference, safeguarding herps and the rest of biodiversity. The practical objective of the HerpTrust Project implementation was to create a complete, cohesive and easily comprehensive set of resources in the form of educational material and online tools to be used for the promotion of positive HHI. This was achieved through 5 activities: producing an e-learning course about (HHI), developing an interactive online tool, producing a replicability package and organising two multiplier events, in Cyprus and Malta respectively.

Herpetofauna (reptile and amphibian) species are currently one of the most endangered groups worldwide, with their numbers on the decline due to both climate change and a series of human-related threats such as persecution, pollution, and habitat fragmentation. Μost people are unaware of their importance to the environment and incapable of distinguishing them which leads to ophidiophobia (an irrational fear of all snakes), even for the harmless species, that in turn leads towards unnecessary persecution. Moreover, uncontrolled urban and agricultural development is irreversibly degrading and fragmenting important habitats of herp species. Targeted conservation actions are urgently needed for their protection.Luckily, those conservation actions are not necessarily large or expensive and can make a huge difference, improving biodiversity’s resilience (including herps) to both climate- and human-induced threats. The HerpTrust Project, tailored to Erasmus+ KA2 priorities, adresses this need for both identification of human pressures on herps, and suggestions for targeted conservation, through educational material created for both citizens and professionals working in environmental and relevant fields.

HerpTrust Activity 2 - EN; Press Releases ; HerpTrust Activity 3 - EN; HerpTrust Activity 3 - GR; HerpTrust Activity 3 - MT; HerpTrust Actiity 2 Guidebook - EN; HerpTrust Activity 2 Guidebook - GR; HerpTrust Activity 2 Guidebook - MT; HerpTrust Activity 1 – EN; HerpTrust Activity 1 – GR; HerpTrust Activity 1 – MT; HerpTrust Website; Project Events and Dissemination; HerpTrust Activity 2 - GR; HerpTrust Activity 2 - MT