Georgia’s Vashlovani Protected Area granted European conservation award

One of the most beautiful landscapes of Georgia which presents remarkable cliffs and canyons and a variety of animals, has been granted with a prestigious award from the European Council.

Vashlovani Protected Areas in eastern Georgia has joined more than 70 protected areas in several European countries to receive the European Diploma for Protected Areas for its preservation of biological, geological and landscape diversity.

Georgia applied for this prestigious award in March 2014 and the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers decided to award Vashlovani Protected Area with a Diploma yesterday.

Amazing landscape of Vashlovani Protected Areas. Photo from bunbunlandia.wordpress.com

Vashlovani Protected Areas. Photo from bunbunlandia.wordpress.com

"The European Diploma award will serve as a stimulus for further protection, popularisation and recognition at the international level of the protected areas of Georgia,” a representative of the Agency of Protected Areas said.

The Council of Europe has awarded protected areas within European countries with the European Diploma for five years. The award recognises each area’s outstanding scientific, cultural or aesthetic qualities, but the area must also be the subject of a suitable conservation scheme.

Desert of Vashlovani Protected Areas. Photo by bunbunlandia.wordpress.com

Vashlovani Protected Areas is located in the extreme eastern part of the Dedoflistskaro district in the Kakheti region.

It includes Vashlovani Nature Reserve, National Park and three natural monuments. The name Vashlovani derived from the natural similarity and disposition of pistachio and apple trees that leaves the impression of a fruit garden.

The area is home to various animal species, such as leopard, striped hyena, brown bear, wolf, lynx, wild boar, as well as a variety of rare birds including the griffon vulture, black vulture, Egyptian vulture, little bustard and the rare black stork.