Georgia’s Vashlovani Protected Area to be granted European conservation award

The Vashlovani Protected Area, one of the most beautiful landscapes of Georgia, which presents remarkable cliffs and canyons and a variety of animals, is expected to receive a prestigious award from the European Council.

Located in Georgia’s east, Vashlovani Protected Area was first awarded the European Diploma for Protected Areas for its preservation of biological, geological and landscape diversity in 2015.

The Council of Europe granted Georgia the prestigious award for five years. This term is expiring in 2019 and now the Vashlovani Protected Area is again awaiting to be granted the award for the next five years.

The representative of the evaluation mission responsible for granting the award is visiting the Vashlovani Protected Area to learn the situation on ground. Photo: agency of Protected Areas/Facebook

Georgia first applied for the European Diploma for Protected Areas in March 2014 and the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers decided to award Vashlovani Protected Area with the award in June. 

The award recognises each area’s outstanding scientific, cultural or aesthetic qualities however the area must also encompass a suitable conservation scheme.

• Vashlovani Protected Area is located in the extreme eastern part of the Dedoplistskaro 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 leopards, striped hyenas, brown bears, wolves, lynx, wild boars, as well as a variety of rare birds including the griffon vulture, black vulture, Egyptian vulture, little bustard and the rare black stork.